Fourthstream

MILLENNIAL FATHER 4/Good Shepherd Father

Written By: Dave

God’s sheep word-picture is really quite provoking. We seem to be comfortable in a herd, somewhat unable to protect our own selves from predators, and pretty focused on the next snack. That being said, it is nice to know that God promises His guidance and protection. Too bad it isn’t in our nature to feel like we need it.

Our Father has been shepherding for a long time. It IS in His nature to create an environment where we can flourish and grow, and at the same time enjoy the simplicity of forever protection – no matter what the wolf throws our way.

We think you will enjoy our discussion of experiencing God’s protecting Shepherding of our lives. If you don’t, we’ll give you your money back – no questions asked.

Dave & Burnadette

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” ― C.S. Lewis

A Look at Psalm 23
The Great Shepherd of the Sheep
A “Know My Voice” Song Video

BOOK BY BOOK 12/Exodus 33-40 & Leviticus 1-9

Written By: Dave

Wow – the golden calf story is so creepy, isn’t it? I guess I need to show a little understanding. Israel didn’t know God very well. And here they certainly dodged obliteration. How fitting that a man who had received His Father’s mercy (Moses) was so willing to give the same grace to his companions.

As the journey is resumed the people make their contributions to preparations for the tabernacle. It is important to keep sight of the fact that Yahweh’s dwelling was, and is, within the hearts of His people. The tabernacle was a visible reflection of the glory of God. Everything placed within it and around it was a copy of what is in heaven. This is key as you read, because it is easy to focus on this earthly “tent” rather on the one in heaven (passages below).

We also begin the book of Leviticus. Exodus is the context for understanding the purpose of the tabernacle. The Jews had spent 430 years in bondage in Egypt. Now it was time to shift focus. The sacrifices, the priests, and the ceremonies of Leviticus were given to enhance the people’s connection with God. And there were millions of people!

Check these out as you read – some major insight and perspective!

Mark 14.58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’”

Acts 17.24 “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands”

Acts 19.26 “You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all.”

2 Corinthians 5.1 “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

Hebrews 9.11 “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation…”

Hebrews 9.24 “For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”

Deeper in Exodus
Deeper in Leviticus

DAYSTREAMERS/March 18-24

Written By: Dave

Welcome reading friend! Even brief readings like these each day can guide my mind. Enjoy.

18
Exodus 28:29-30

“Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually. “You shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the LORD; and Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD continually.

The clothing of the priests was supposed to reflect all of the heart things that God wanted from His people. Their decisions (Urim and Thummim) were supposed to be placed under the authority and purview of God.

19
Exodus 29:43-46

“I will meet there with the sons of Israel, and it shall be consecrated by My glory. “I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to minister as priests to Me. “I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. “They shall know that I am the LORD their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the LORD their God.

Fire by night and a cloud by day. Yahweh was above His people, before His people, and connected to His people in supernaturally connected ways.

20
Exodus 32:4-6

“He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

Chilling. Israel often fell victim to a wandering heart. This is not one of their finest moments. As mentioned before, Israel had spent 430 years in an idolatrous land. It took a short period of time to get Israel out of Egypt. It took much longer to get Egypt out of His people.

21
Exodus 33:10-11

When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

Moses and Joshua represented the people before Yahweh. This “face to face” concept is evidenced throughout the God Story. (2 John 12)

22
Leviticus 1:2-4

“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When any man of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or the flock. ‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. ‘He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf.”

Atonement was the purpose of the sacrifices. It is the way God chose to “cover” the sons of Israel. The people would learn about blood sacrifice and be prepared for the ultimate sacrifice: the coming of Messiah.

23
Leviticus 7:37-38

This is the law of the burnt offering, the grain offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering and the ordination offering and the sacrifice of peace offerings, which the LORD commanded Moses at Mount Sinai in the day that He commanded the sons of Israel to present their offerings to the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai.

Each offering accomplishes a purpose for the sons of Israel, and each offering has something to teach Christ-followers. Take a shot at correlating them 🙂

24
Leviticus 8:10-13

Moses then took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and set them apart. He sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them. Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him, to consecrate him. Next Moses had Aaron’s sons come near and clothed them with tunics, and girded them with sashes and bound caps on them, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Likewise, each of the worship utensils represented some aspect of setting themselves apart for God’s purposes. Check out Psalm 133-134 here – really cool! You can also listen to a great song while you read (click it).

MILLENNIAL FATHER 3/Perfect Love Father

Written By: Dave

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Love is a great treasure. A gift. It is a great motivator. True love is sometimes hard to pin down, especially in a world culture so external in orientation.

God-love is sacrificial at its’ core. It is represented in the love of parents for children. Friends for one another. An enduring marriage. A willingness to forgive.

One of the easy to overlook qualities of our Creator Father is His perfect love. This can be tough when we are faced with the reality of so much imperfection in our world and our relationships. God’s Love – like all of His character traits, is Self-imagined in His own realm. Therefore, when we try to emulate or even define perfect love, we can be at a disadvantage in that our paradigm colors everything we imagine about God.

While I am sure I will not begin to fully understand God until I am with Him face to face, one thing I can know about HOW He loves is that He does so completely, sacrificially, and perfectly. We are taking a look at the nature of His perfect love, as we attempt to connect His desire for us to love within the challenges we face as we live our lives.

We are in the middle of the ultimate circle of love. God “loved the world” and “gave His only Son” so that we might have the Perfect human example of sacrificial love. The reason Jesus said “greater love has no man that this, than he lay down his life for his friends” is because it cuts right to the core of God’s purposes, not only within the cosmos, but in the human faith experience itself. So here’s an artistic snapshot of God’s perfect love! The entire God Story is His love story, but today we choose several thoughts and passages to focus our inquiry.

Dave & Burnadette

The Perfections of Love
Love in the Spirit
A Good Love Song

BOOK BY BOOK 11/Exodus 17-32

Written By: Dave

There is so much in Exodus that is foundational to authentic faith. Egypt is a parallel to being hopelessly in bondage to sin. Pharaoh perfectly exhibits the pride of mankind even in the face of terrible judgement. The power Moses wielded originated in God, just as all Good emanates from our heavenly Father.

The grumbling of the people perfectly encapsulates the ongoing response of mankind to the conditions of our lives. The glory of God led them in the wilderness, just as God’s Spirit continues to lead us today.

So many of the principles we follow as Christ-followers find roots in the books of the Law (Genesis – Deuteronomy), in the history books and the prophets, and in the writings and stories of the kings of Israel. This is the rich backdrop upon which Jesus lived His life, taught the Words of God, and did the works of His Father. Amazing!

In Genesis we see the origins of the human race, and those of the chosen race. In Job we are given insight into the greater purposes of God. In Exodus we are taught the basics (and the heart) of what it means to be delivered “by a Mighty Hand!”

Read on my adventurous friend!