On Sunday, November 28, we will study Exodus 28. Hopefully we can cover the whole chapter. You should read the whole chapter, and then we'll see how far we get in class.

Concerning the Spiritual Disciplines I wrote about last week: I'm working on my second memory verse, a good one to meditate on, and am ready for chapter 9 in all three books of the Bible that I'm reading.

If you've started, where are you? I'd love to hear about your journey through the disciplines.

If you haven't started, or have no idea what I'm referring to, check out my entries from last week. It's all there.

Sunday we learned about the outer court of the tabernacle including the hanging curtains, the embroidered entrance screen, and the way the people were instructed to camp around it.

We discovered that the camp arrangement was for the purpose of staying close to their Commander because they faced their worst enemy--themselves--before they faced any outward enemies.

Henry Blackaby has said, "In every generation there seem to exist certain cliches used by members of the body of Christ. No doubt, on the top of the list for this generation are the words 'I'm under attack!' Every difficulty seems to be labeled 'spiritual warfare.' Without question we fight wars in the heavenlies; but before we can be sure it's spiritual warfare, we must be able to answer three questions negatively: (1) Am I living outside the will of God? (2) Do I have any unconfessed sin? (3) Is God simply working His completion in me? Far more often, our difficulties originate from one of these three realms."

Think of a difficulty you are dealing with. Test it according to these three questions. Are you under attack from Satan or from your flesh?

If you are fighting a battle of the flesh, how can you be victorious?

What can you do to ensure that you are camped close to your Commander?

Romans 7:14-25 describes the problem we have battling ourselves.

Although a continual war is waged against us internally, we must never accept defeat!

What does 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 say about the weapons of our warfare?

What does Deuteronomy 23:14 say is God's promise if we choose to camp with Him and walk with Him?

Now that you've read the passage for Sunday, it would be helpful to draw a diagram. As you read, the east and west sides of the tabernacle are half as long as the north and south sides. So, draw a rectangle that is twice as wide as it is tall.

How many pillars were the linen curtains to be hung on the north and south sides (see Ex. 27:10-11)?

How many pillars or posts were to be on the west side(see v. 12)?

On the lines you have drawn, place bold, black dots to represent pillars. Make sure you have enough space around the diagram on your paper to add more details later.

Bible passage for Sunday, November 21

This Sunday we will study Exodus 27:9-19. If we have time, we'll also cover 20-21.

Yesterday in class, we studied the altar of sacrifice in the courtyard of the tabernacle. We read how after the instructions for building and consecrating it had been obediently followed, God found it acceptable and fire came out from Him to consume the sacrifice. At this display of His glory, the people fell face-down on the ground to worship.

Our obedience to God is for one purpose only: to bring the glory of the Lord and His joy into our lives. When we look at obedience in that light, I've got to wonder why I ever resist doing what I know is God's will. (We'll discuss that reason this coming Sunday--stay tuned!)

When God lit the fire on the altar, it was then the priests' job to keep it burning forever. When we are saved, at that moment, God lights a fire within us by giving us gifts and the Holy Spirit. It is our job to fan the flame for the rest of our lives.

Here is the assignment I gave:
1. Name a specific gift God has gien you.
2. What have you done to fan it into a flame so it can be used with excellence?
3. If you have not done anything to fan the flame, what will you plan to do?

Additionally, I am reading a book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney. The first discipline listed is intake of the Bible. That means, to grow as a Christian, I need to take in the Word of God. There are several ways to do this, and we should do them all.

The first way is to read the whole thing. I have to confess, I've never done that. I start in Genesis and by the time I get to Deuteronomy, I'm washed up. I seem to have no trouble studying one book at a time, which is also a way to take in the Bible (and one of the ways listed in this book) but reading it through is tough for me. However, Whitney gives a plan I think I can follow, and I challenge you to follow it with me. We'll keep each other accountable.

Start in three places at once. Read one chapter in Genesis, one chapter in Job, and one chapter in Matthew each day. On Sunday, read two chapters in each of the three books. Keep reading these sections in order at that pace. In less than a year, we will have conluded all three sections, and thus the whole Bible.

The next way to take in the Bible is Bible study, which we do in class. By reading each section ahead (when I tell you what it is) and writing down any questions you may have about it, you are studying.

Number three is meditate on it. Pick a verse each day to think about for the rest of the day. Mull it over. Read it again. Ponder it. Pull all the meaning out of it.

And number four is to memorize it. Write a chosen verse on a note card and carry it with you. Write it on a post-it note and stick it to your bathroom mirror. Do whatever you need to to see it and say it several times a day.

When we know what the Bible says, and make an effort to learn what it means, and openly ask God to show us what it should mean to us in our daily lives, we will become different people. Joyful. Full of the presence and glory of God.

The Role of Cherubim

Yesterday we took a closer look at the cherubim that Moses was instructed to make and put at either end of the mercy seat. Ezekiel 1 describes them in detail. We also read Luke's and Mark's accounts of Resurrection morning. We compared the angels Mary saw and their positions in the tomb with the cherubim on the mercy seat. It became apparent that God's glory is constantly guarded by cherubim and that Jesus' body was no exception. It also became clear that God planned for a subtitutionary death from the very beginning since the Hebrew word for "ark of the testimony" also means "coffin".

This week we will conclude our study of Exodus 25:10-22 with one more look at the mercy seat and a study of the contents of the ark. Once again, I'm using Beth Moore's study, A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place as the study basis, so I won't post any of it here. See you Sunday!