The Tabernacle Blog

I have learn’t that the Chinese character for the word ‘busy’ is made up of two Chinese characters death and heart. So busyness is ‘death to the Heart’.

This struck me as so relevent for Tabernacle as one of the main things that stop people from Tabernacling is busyness. Busyness must be fought against, you cannot just let what happens happen. I have found that if I don’t fight for my time with the Lord, fight for my intimacy with Him then this SPACE just gets filled with ‘other stuff’, often very unimportant and silly stuff. Yet it can so easily fill my space and time and steal what I should be offering to God.

Lord I ask your forgiveness  for allowing this to happen and ask you to show me what to cut out and how to maintain SPACE in my life so I can not Experience ‘death to my heart’ but that I can experience life through spending time with you and hearing your voice. Show me my right priorities I pray and give me the strength to stand in them and give you the space you deserve in my life. Who should I be hanging around with what should I be listening to? thanks King Jesus.

Also there is a web presentation of more amazing history of Chinese characters, it came from a Chinese friend of mine Phil born & bred in the UK. He assures me of the accuracy of the Chinese translation.

Presentation link

It is four o’clock, Shabbat morning. I have been reading all the tabernacle blogs. So this is the first blog I’ve ever written, anywhere – I am very aware that the Lord is doing a new thing even as I write. Only you Lord could be the author of such wonders.

Many months ago in early 2007 the Lord gave me a vision over 2 or 3 days of a small, very neat wooden ‘chapel’. It was built from newly hewn timber, clean and bright, and it stood on a hillside surrounded by forest. Inside the chapel there was a very simple and clean wooden bench. Nothing else, no alter. There was a very narrow path leading up to the door. When I enquired about this, the Lord spoke to my spirit and told me I needed to build this place in my heart for Him alone. I was very overcome by the beauty and tranquility of the vision. I understand now that He was wanting me to prepare the tabernacle of my body and prepare my heart as His alter.

Almost two years ago Andrew and I sold our newly renovated house and moved here with our children to Ararat. In this rented house we were led to set aside our living room as a place for prayer and worship. The room has 14ft ceilings, with quite amazingly detailed patterns in the pressed metal . It is in this room that my loving God delivered me last year of a number of demons and healed a number of very deep wounds.

 In June I was praying in here late one Shabbat evening. Andrew was on his way to Pakistan and the children were asleep. I was praying in the Spirit and the Lord gave me an impression of Sarah. When I asked Him what he was showing me He spoke to me about Sarah’s treatment of Hagar. Gen 21: 8-13. He spoke to me about the spirit of envy and the seed of division and corruption among women. The Spirit was very grieved and I was weeping deeply for the enmity between Sarah and Hagar. In my heart I was prompted by the Lord to repent on behalf of the daughters of Sarah and ask forgiveness for the harsh treatment of the daughters of Hagar.

Reading Mark’s blog about One New Man reminded me tonight about this intercession before the Lord. In October We joined with Celebrate Messiah in Melbourne at the Feast of Tabernacles celebration. The Egyptian pastor of the Arabic AOG led some worship. As soon as he was introduced by Lawrence the Spirit of God came upon the worship. I was in awe of the beauty and love of God manifest in this man. One new man dwelling together in unity! Praise Him, the author of life and reconciliation!

So different and creative have been my experiences in the Tabernacle. But the experience most common is expressed in this word from the Lord a few weeks ago while celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).

“In the hidden place
the cleft
the desert dune
a removed remoteness
a detox from a world ruled by the Prince of the Air.
Removed from the routines
the news
the noise.
Seclusion.
In these hidden places
I stand alone
Unimpeded
A single focus.
Removed from distraction
I quieten my beloveds.
Where I still the raging inner voices,
inner noises.
And I alone can do what I can do.
An undivided focus
An intent heart
Seeking, soaking in me
In such places grow men & women of honor,
Valor
Conviction
And grace.
In the hiddenness I grow the seeds planted
and nurture my truth,
My Word.
Building slowly, quietly
without fuss, without parades
My champions
My children
to become men
women
whole, complete in maturity
lacking nothing
striving for nothing
content in the nothing
but the fullness of the Rock.
Finding fullness not emptiness.
Finding me
Jesus – Yeshua
The one who lives for the Father
The Father and I are one,
complete
lacking nothing
astounding in a enormous and unending wholeness.

I, the one and only God
in all of my enormity
dwell in such places.
Darkness filling the chamber of my presence
and it is this glory
the Father’s glory
that is seen, tasted
breathed.
In hiddeness
in the fertile soil of this underground
the comfort in the nook of the rock.
It is my power that is manifest in such out of the way, removed places.
my power
and your quiet reformation – transformation.
My spirit hovers
lingers
broods
exists over
stirring
moving as a veil of grace and healing
over the ones hidden in the cleft of the Rock.
I impregnate
Knowledge known through revelation of myself, my heart, my passions.
I restore my image
My mind
in the scattered places of the human soul
untwisting the carnage left by my enemy,
intent on the destruction of the image of God sculpted in man.
The ways of God confound this Prince,
It is foolishness to his wisdom..
But it is in the hiddenness
the most astounding, impressive work of God,
all powerful, all knowing,
takes place.
A place to embrace
long for
linger in
and yearn not to be from;
for it is his place
and where He is, is beautiful.
Transforming glory to glory.”

I was thinking the other day about my first encounter with a Tabernacle. We had arrived in Tel Aviv Israel. We were taken to Emmaus Way where they had a Tabernacle which was a set apart room, just for worship and meeting with/doing business with God.
I was familiar with the concept as I had been in Europe seeking out ‘Thin places’. Places where hundreds or even more than a thousand of years of prayer had been pursued, as a result it was said God seemed ‘closer’ there. But here I was in Tel Aviv Israel, where it was actually asked of me (as someone staying at the centre) to spend a minimum of 4 hrs per day with God. I just couldn’t go in.

I was taking walking into His presence very seriously but also my mind was blocking me, “How can they say God is closer in there than anywhere else? Who are they anyway? What is in there anyway?” and the biggie… “What if God says something to me that I don’t like or asks me to do something that I don’t want to do?” Eventually I got over ‘myself’. Ok lets be honest! I had to humble myself, get over my pride, stop looking at the people and look for God. Then I was able to enter into a lovely room thick with the presence of God, hear His voice and to allow Him to minister very very deeply to me. I watched Him not people, minister to me and others in profound and individual ways. His words always spot on.  His heart always healing and restoring.

I believe my fear was because I was yet to understand that God is good and that He can be trusted. I didn’t trust God and I thought He could hurt me or let me down. God always operates within the fruit of His Spirit. This is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness and self control. These are the fruits of the Spirit of God,  what He is like.

My experience tells me now that it is always a wonderful thing to be in the presence of God. Sin WILL be exposed. We will realise our filthiness and inadequacy before Him, yet if we are humble and ask, He will ALWAYS have kind answers for us and a way forward. Thank you God I love you so much and just long for those moments of your presence, your touch and your loving healing.

The other day we went to visit the (24-7 prayer) boiler room in London.  We found it in the spaceous basement of an office building on Tabernacle Street.  Later we learnt that it is in the exact spot that John Wesley had his first headquarters (the foundary) in.  It seems like God is really keen on ‘tabernacling’ in that place, for normally a boiler room starts with a bunch of people who want to share in 24-7 prayer and not with a building.  In this case it was the other way round.  God chose this place for a prayer room (without anyone but Him knowing that it was on Tabernacle street), without there yet being a core group of people to do the praying.  He even got it for a really good deal!  The rent is £1/year!

It is a beautiful place.  Prayers and Impressions are written or painted and pinned to a wall.  Fabric & curtains cover walls & ceilling.  Little lamps & ferrylights all throughout the room.  A seperate area, all in white, with white linen and cushions, to soak in His presence.  A cross in the corner & rough pavers on the floor.  A stereo, a prayer journal, and many more little details add to the amazing atmosphere.

As we spent time in the prayer room/tabernacle, we really could sense the presence of God.  It was beautiful, gentle & calming, yet in the same time we could feel His fierce love for the city.  Being down there in the basement with no daylight coming in, reminded us of a seed planted in the ground, hidden from the world, yet full of life & power.  We left refreshed & full of joy.  Praise the Lord!

Today is my birthday and I got to spend an hour in the Tabernacle. As I entered I spent some time praising and then felt to lay down. As I laid there I felt a wonderful sensation on my arms and my whole body, it was like I was soaking in something. Just feeling His warm embrace and His loving attention. It was wonderful! Thank you God. When it first happened I felt a bit guilty like I should be doing something! Praying or hearing His voice. But no I felt His pleasure at just allowing Him to minister to and Bless me, this I believe ministers to Him. Lord my time in the Tabernacle is yours, what ever you want.

Abandoned

Today we had an awesome time in the Tabernacle, Helen, Joel-Mark and I were all down there and we just started to dance as we worshipped. It was wonderful as the worship was just so abandoned, so free.

Afterwards I was reflecting on the time and how free and abandoned it was and I believe I got a download from God about how powerful in the Spirit our worship had been. Great God you can use us in that way anytime it was fun and free and a great thing to do together as a family.