I have an update on Derrick Robinson's condition. He had surgery to remove the tumor on his brain stem. All went well and though the pathology report has not come back to confirm it; the Dr.'s involved believe that at least part of the tissue removed was malignant. They have determined that radiation would not have an affect on the type tumor it is, so they will probably be giving Derrick chemotherapy instead. He is in great spirits and praising the Lord for sparing his life at this point. Mary Beth is doing great and staying strong. Thank you so much for your prayers.

Don and I have a singles Sunday school class that we teach and we learned yesterday that one of our class members passed away during the night on Saturday. Please be in prayer for the Tatum family.

Two others of the singles in our class are also looking at possible cancer and are in the process of having tests done. Whatever God is doing in our church right now is pretty powerful. Many illnesses and deaths in recent months.
But, we know that His plan is perfect for each of these individuals and we will continue to pray for and encourage them to look to him for the completion of his will in their lives.

Again I must remember the passage in I Thessalonians 5:16-18 which says "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

It's a beautiful passage of scripture. From the heart of a Savior who loves us and wants to see his father glorified through us. But, when the tragedy strikes, it's not so easy to smile and say amen. However, that doesn't change the fact that it is true. God put us on the earth to glorify him through our lives.
Jesus died to secure our salvation, so that this purpose could be fulfilled.
Even Christ himself when he prayed in the garden, said, "If it be thy will Father, let this cup pass from me, but nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done." Christ himself submitted to the will of his heavenly father. When I think about the sacrifice Jesus made for me; the things we suffer on this earth seem very small.

May God give us the grace to face every tragedy in our lives with a view of the cross and a heart of thanks for His mercy and the grace He has provided for us.
Please lift these up in prayer with me! Thanks and God bless you all.

Yesterday I learned that our friend Derrick Robinson's surgery had been cancelled. The doctors have decided that it is much more serious than they previously thought. It appears to them now that the mass is on the brain stem so they are in the process of making a decision about the direction they want to go in. Please continue to lift this family up to our Lord. He is the God of miracles and this family needs a miraculous healing from God.

As I was thinking about this situation, I remembered a passage of scripture that our pastor, Jeff Lyle has made reference to many times concerning God's will.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18-"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing.
In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

We are called as Christians to give thanks, no matter what comes, because God has made it clear in His word that He is in control of our lives and His plan will be accomplished. Because His ways are so much higher than ours, we cannot always understand the way He works, but; over and over again, He proves that He knows what is best.

We are commanded to be thankful.....this is a very bitter pill to swallow when an illness or other catastrophe that we do not understand, ask for, or agree with, comes into our lives.
We are not asked to understand, we are simply asked to rejoice, pray and give thanks. Through every trial, if we do these three things and trust our Savior, no matter what the outcome, our faith in the Lord will be strengthened.
And God will receive the glory whatever the results.

I have been a Christian for 45 years and during those years I have experienced the peace that only God can give during a very difficult and impossible to understand situation.

Wow, I really dropped the ball!!! Aren't you guys relieved? I mean, now you can take me off that pedestal you had me on!! Now you know I'm human!!
Ha Ha, seriously kidding. God is so good to me, not because of what I've done or who I am, but because of who He is and what only He could ever do!!
Sounds a little like a song I've heard!! But it is totally the truth, and I believe it with all my heart.

Now, to a serious prayer request:
I have a Christian sister who just found out yesterday that her husband (the father of two small boys, 3 years and 15 months) has a mass on his brain.
He was having a headache on Sunday all day, they took him to the hospital yesterday and after a catscan discovered the mass, they are concerned and will do surgery early this morning.

Please lift up Derick Robinson to the Lord in your prayers and his wife Marybeth, their sons Drew and Zane. The Bible says in James 5:15 "The effectual, fervent prayers of a righteous man availeth much." The Robinson family needs Gods intervention right now and our support. Let's pray and believe God for the strength, protection, support and healing that only He can give.

Dear Lord, you are the mighty, majestic, all powerful, omniscient, omnipotent, healer. We trust you today with our brother, Derick Robinson. Lord, we know that you have a plan for everyone of your children. This is obviously part of the plan for Derick's life. Lord, we beg today for your mercy and grace on behalf of this family. God, they need your understanding and tender hands of comfort and love today as they go through this trial with Derick's health. God you are able to do so much more than we can even imagine. Please give the Dr.'s skill today as they operate and guide their hands as they start the healing process.
Please, dear Savior, be with Marybeth and the boys, give her peace in her heart, and comfort in knowing that Derick is in your hands. Help those of us who love the Robinson's and their extended family to reach out to them and be the hands and feet of the Savior. We love you Lord, and trust this family to your keeping.
May everything be done according to your perfect and holy will. A-men

As I met last evening with my dear friend for our Bible study, I was struck by just how little I knew about the tabernacle, it's construction and the significance of the elements used by God's people to worship and have restored fellowship with him. But I also was able to realize how very blessed we are as Christians today. We are continually in God's presence. His Holy Spirit lives within us. Jesus Christ is the intercessor for our prayers to the Father. We can pray directly to Him and know that God has promised us that He will hear and answer. We no longer have to make animal sacrifices, because the pure, holy, perfect, without blemish, Son of God was the lamb, slain for us. When He was on the cross and cried out "It is finished" the work to secure our salvation was complete forever!!!!!!

I hope you know Him today as your Savior. What a privilege to be able to say that I am a child of the King. Praise God for His wonderful love, His continuing presence, and His awesome provision for our eternity. Thank you Jesus!!

The tabernacle Bible study has brought us to the golden lampstand.
The lampstand is the only source of illumination in the tabernacle.
Exodus 25:31-40 gives the instructions for making the lampstand.
It was to be pounded out from one piece of pure gold. The design included a main stem with six branches going out from the two sides of the main stand.
It was probably the first menorah. There were a total of seven lamps on the stand. Can you imagine what it must have looked like to see the illumination of the golden lampstand against the gold walls and the white linen drapes overhead with the blue, purple and scarlet cherubim embroidered on them.
It must have been breathtaking!!
The lampstands were not candle holders, I found this so beautiful...Beth Moore
said, "One major difference exists between the way a candle burns and the way a lamp burns; a candle burns by consuming itself, while a lamp burns by consuming a continuous supply of oil from another source. The seven lamps on the one golden lampstand were fueled by oil (pure olive oil).
In Leviticus 24:2 & 4- we are told that the Israelites were to bring the oil and the lampstands were to burn continuously.

Beth Moore uses this analogy to drive home a very significant point.
"We are the heavenly lampstands of this age to show Jesus to a dark world. He is no less present when we hide our lamp, but when we do this, we make it harder for those walking in darkness to see. Christ was the Olive Tree pressed to make available the pure oil of the Holy Spirit to fuel our lamps continually."

"When we receive Christ as our personal Savior; the fuel of the Holy Spirit sparks the life of Christ in our hearts. Although that light can never be extinguished, the brightness of our flame entirely depends on how much oil (the Holy Spirit) we allow Christ to pour on us. " If we die daily and ask for the filling of the Holy Spirit and the light in our lives that others can see, we will light the way to Christ for those who are lost without him.

"The Holy Spirit came to fuel us perpetually. If we do not burn with a passionate flame, it is because we have limited God, who prepared us for victory. Paul warns us: "Do not put out the Spirit's fire." (I Thes. 5:19)
Matthew 5:16 speaks of this light so beautifully when it says "Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Let your light shine today; before the men and women that you have an influence on. Let them see the light of your Lord in you so that He may be glorified always!!

As I was reading through my emails today. I found this one, sent to me by my Aunt Dottie. The tears just rolled down my cheeks as I read it.

This is great, take a moment to read it, it will make your day!

The ending will surprise you.

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just before Christmas, There was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands... He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly... He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.' The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.' The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected. The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son.. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?' There was silence... Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.' But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?' Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh's, the Rembrandts. Get on with the Real bids!' But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?' Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting...' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. 'We have $10, who will bid $20?' 'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.' The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel.. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!' A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!' The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.' 'What about the paintings?' 'I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will... I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!' God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: 'The son, the son, who'll take the son?' Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything. FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE....THAT'S LOVE

Thanks Aunt Dottie, for reminding me that anything we do for Christ will some day be rewarded. But those rewards are not for our gain; they are so that we can honor our Savior, God's son, when we cast our rewards at His feet in gratitude for what He did for us.

Our study of the tabernacle has now moved into the study of each of the elements for worship that God commanded Moses to place in the tabernacle.
The first piece of furniture that Moses was to build was the ark of the covenant.
The ark of the covenant was constructed by very specific designs. God gave Moses the instructions in Exodus chapter 25. The ark of the covenant was an enclosed piece of furniture made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold.
Inside the Ark, there were two stone tablets engraved with the Ten Commandments and a golden pot of manna and later, Aaron's budded rod was added to them.
The mercy seat, which was placed on the Ark, was made solely of pure gold.
On each end, cherubim were placed to stretch out their wings above, covering the lid of the Ark-that is the mercy seat, and the cherubim faced toward the mercy seat. The mercy seat is the place of mercy where God bestows His grace on those who come to Him by faith. This was the holy place of our Savior, who had mercy on His children.
The Ark was carried with wooden poles overlaid with pure gold, which were slipped through gold rings on each end of the mercy seat, so that no one would touch the Ark as they were carrying it.

Once a year, the high Priest took the blood of a sacrificial offering and entered into the Most Hole. (Holy of Holies) The Priest sprinkled the blood of the offering on the mercy seat for exactly seven times. God said that he would meet the Israelites on this mercy seat then. God meets whoever has the same faith as that of the High Priest, that is, the faith in His remission of sin revealed in the sacrificial system. This ceremony took place on the day of atonement each year. The tenth day of the seventh month was set aside for this ceremonial cleansing of the sins of the Israelites for the past year.

Through the blood of Christ, God met the Israelites and gave them the blessing of the remission of sin. His establishment of this system allowed the people a way to fellowship with the Lord. What a blessing it is for us today to realize that we also are able to receive the remission for our sins, through the blood of God's perfect substitutionary lamb, his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. If you haven't received the gift of God's grace and remission for your sin, my prayer is that you will. God bless!!

The Beth Moore Bible study about the tabernacle is so amazing.
God used every aspect of the construction and every element in the structure to remind the children of Israel where they came from and how they got to where they were. I would imagine some times that was a pretty painful process for them; just as facing our sin is painful for us today. When we are forced to recognize our weakness it reminds us of how great God is. When we get a small glimpse of his power it causes us to realize that apart from Him and his power, we are helpless little children.

I was studying about the coverings that were made for the tabernacle. It was out in the open and needed to be covered but, the structure needed to remain mobile so that as they proceeded with their journey they could easily move the tabernacle with them.

So the ceiling was draped with four large canopies which hung down on the north, west, and south sides in perfect order. The gate was on the east side and had no drape on the sided. Visible from the outside were the hides of what the New International Version calls (sea cows) (see Exodus 26:14). Most scholars agree that they were the hides of the sea cow or dugong, a herbivorous mammal, native to the Red Sea often used to make sandals.
It doesn't really sound beautiful does it? But those that dared to enter would behold the beauty hidden within. How like our Savior's incarnate presence:
"He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him " (Isa. 53:2)
Yet within Him "all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" (Col. 2:9)

The second curtain or Canopy is mentioned in (Exodus 26:14)
This canopy was made of ram's skins dyed red. The ram was the sacrificial offering accepted as a substitution for Abram's beloved son, Isaac; it was also the acceptable sacrifice for the consecration of the tabernacle priests.
What a beautiful picture of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ, our perfect sacrifice.
"He has appeared one time, at the end of the ages, for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of Himself" (Heb. 9:26) and He is the substitute "who gave himself for our sins." (Gal. 1:4) Just as this red canopy covered the tabernacle; when we are covered by the (red) blood of the substitutionary lamb, we have redemption from sin.

The last two canopies serving as the ceiling for the tabernacle proper are named in (Exodus 26:7) these were of goats' hair. The goat was the preeminent sacrifice for the sin offering, but let's not miss an additional application here.
The two men who have been described as forerunners to Christ; Elijah and John the Baptist were clothed in goats' hair. For Elijah see (II Kings 1:8) and for John the Baptist see (Matthew 3:4). Christ himself proclaimed in (Matt. 11:7-15) that Elijah was a type, or picture, of John the Baptist. These garments of hair distinguished them as God's chosen prophets. So within the two curtains made from the skins of sacrificial animals was draped a promise of the Messiah's coming.
Underneath the skins was a drapery of fine white linen which was embroidered with beautiful Cherubim made with blue, purple and scarlet threads.
These beautiful images are hidden from the outside and only beheld by those who were willing to enter with pure hearts of worship. The Bible speaks of God's wings. The Cherubim seem to be a marvelous symbol of the wings of God.
(Psalm 61:4) The Bible tells us that we can hide under the shadow of his wings, rejoice in their shadow and trust underneath them. But the most common portrayal of the wings of El Shaddai, the caregiver, which cover his children with safety, security, joy, and affection is found in (Matt. 23:37)
In His perfect parenting God our Father is both paternal and maternal, both the loving disciplinarian and the nurturing protector who covers His children with His life.

A beautiful illustration of the protection described in this scripture is found in the following story from "Let Me Illustrate".

"In pioneer days, wood-burning locomotives frequently sparked fires. Wheat ripens enough to burn 10 to 15 days before it is ripe enough to cut, and sometimes the fires swept wheat fields for 10 miles. A farmer saw billows of smoke in the distance and knew his house, barn, and surrounding buildings were in danger. He set backfires and burned his own wheat fields in a circle so that when the great fire met the place he had burned, it passed around and went on. With that backfire the farmer saved his buildings but lost his crop. As he walked the burned field grieving, he saw the charred body of a hen. He tipped the hen over with the toe of his boot and out ran a dozen little chicks. Because the mother's burned body was over them, the chicks lived. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live!

"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge"
(Psalm 91:4) Learn to experience the warmth and protection of life beneath the wings of the Almighty.

Today I was thinking about my dad a lot. I really miss him and my mom, especially as the holidays approach. They loved the holidays. It was a wonderful time for family to gather at their little house over in Tucker. That house has been empty now for almost two years. It doesn't seem possible that he has been gone that long. I'll always remember the last five years of my dad's life because three and a half of those years were devoted strictly to taking care of my mom 24 hours a day seven days a week. He fed her, he bathed her, he read the Bible to her, they played card games together and though he loved taking care of her, it was difficult and I'm sure took it's tole on his health.
When my mom passed away in March of 2006, he got back into church. I'll never forget how grateful he was for that privilege and how often he told me what a blessing it was for him.

His favorite verse during that time was Psalm 40:11-"Withhold not thy tender mercies from me, O Lord; Let thy loving kindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
Dad loved that scripture so much that he had it printed on business size cards and handed them out to people all the time, wherever he was.
My dad was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather.
He loved his Lord with all his heart. I'm so glad that he is with his Savior!

Dad, you are missed; I Love You, Monkey Lou!!!

I have had a fantastic day in the Lord today.
Jeff preached on FEAR in the morning service and we had a beautiful communion service in the evening. I am constantly amazed at the way God works. This week alone, I have had several people express their fear to me about a number of things; health problems, job searches, financial difficulties, the president and his policies, and other issues. God always seems to reveal himself through his word just when we need it.

Our God is so great; he's indescribable, unchangeable, and he definitely is not the author of fear. If you are feeling fear and you are a child of the King, then it is a satanic attack. He is the one who causes fear and rejoices in the lack of faith we show when we believe his lies.
Fear is a battle that takes place in our minds.
I Corinthians 10:3-5 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh; For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations (thoughts) and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought (our minds again) to the obedience of Christ.
The battleground is our minds and our weapons are mighty through obedience to Christ. We can have the victory over fear!!!

Pastor Jeff brought this home today in his message from Psalm chapter 3.
Then, if that wasn't enough a friend of mine at church sent me to youtube to watch an amazing confirmation that God knows us intimately, created us, and put his personal stamp of the confirmation that He created us; on us permanently.
If you would like to see this example of God's love personally, google youtube, then click on a message from Atlanta, evangelist Louie Giglio called "How Great Is Our God" I promise you it is worth the few minutes that it takes to watch it.
You'll be amazed.

Other references that might encourage you if you are dealing with problems and the fear that is associated with them.
II Thessalonians 2:1-2-(be not shaken in your mind, or troubled)
I Peter 1:13-(gird up the loins of your mind)
Isaiah 26:3-(Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee)

Read these verses and meditate on them. Then pray for God to direct your mind into His presence and help you to be stable, sober and have perfect peace in your mind, so that you can defeat fear.
God Bless!!!