Thursday, December 23, 2010

"That I May Dwell Among You"


"And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it." Ex 25:8-9
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God has always desired a place of habitation [or dwelling] amongst His people. The reason for this is because of God's great love for His creation and the deep sense of compassion towards us that has revealed since the beginning. This desire to "dwell among [us]" is expressed vividy in a study of the Tabernacle of Moses.
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Years before I was ever in full-time ministry, I was introduced to some of the deep meanings of the tabernacle by my mother's sister, "Aunt Vee". She sahred with me some of the insiights that God had revealed to her through prayer and study and challenged me to dig even deeper into this amazing place of seeing Christ Jesus and the Cross expressed thousands of years before the incarnation.
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This past year [2010] the Lord Jesus called me to a unique season of fasting. I heard Him say to me at the close of 2009, "I want you to fast half the year." What? I thought - six months of fasting and prayer? Is that possible or healthy! The Lord calmed my fears when He revealed to me that I would fast every other day for the whole year. So that is what I have done. It has truly been a challenging [and grace filled] experience that has produced a new level of diligence, determination, and perseverance. If I could use one word to discribe what He was working in me this past year it would be "discipline."
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Hebrews 12:5-7 says, "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons..."
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Many times we associate chastening with something negative or as the result of some fault or error; but the Lord has revealed to me just the opposite this past year in a very humbling and encouraging way. He has so graciously allowed me to go through and endure some of the greatest trials and tribulations of my twenty years of full-time ministry.
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The word chasten in the Greek is the word "paideian" and it means: to tutor, to nurture, educate and discipline
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While 2010 brought forth a plethora of challenges - I can honestly say that the Spirit of the Lord truly served as a spiritual tutor and taught me some enormous lessons while providing the care and nurture that can only come from a true Father.
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Having said that...
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I fell that while 2010 was a year where fasting was central to God's directive for me [and the ministry] that the emphasis for 2011 will be one of prayer and deeper intimacy with Christ Jesus. Just as He provided a clear fasting directive for 2010 - I believe that 2011 will bring with it a clear prayer directive. [I think I know what He is saying, but I will wait to share it until it is certain - - it is challenging!]
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Part of this directive will be to teach on the subject of the Tabernacle of Moses in 2011. I will most likely teach this and make it available LIVE by means of our webcast [www.BigGrace.com] This will most likely be a daily class [Monday - Friday] and will then be made available for free download through our Raven Institute of Ministry & Biblical Studies [www.RavenInstitute.blogspot.com]
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I want to invite each of you to make prayer a greater emphasis than you ever have before in this coming year - and not just a time of endless petition or vain repetition - but rather a time of listening and learning from the Greatest Instructor one could ever have!
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Looking forward to even deeper waters,
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Pastor Troy D. Bohn

Raven Ministries International, Inc
PO Box 2102
Kenner, LA 70062
(504) 202-0939

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