We have just released a new further revelation on Tabernacle. We believe it is crucial for Gods’ end time plan. Turning all hearts to Him. The power of worship.
Read the .pdf document here. Then please log in and comment, we would love to hear your thoughts and revelations.
I have come to the firm decision that any revelation of Tabernacle or ‘The New’ that God is releasing currently on the Earth must have a revelation of Israel.
Why?
This letter is written to Gentiles
“I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud and start bragging. Some of the Jews have hard hearts, but this will last only until the complete number of Gentiles comes to Christ. 26 And so all Israel will be saved. Do you remember what the prophets said about this? “A Deliverer will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel from all ungodliness. 27 And then I will keep my covenant with them and take away their sins.” 28 Many of the Jews are now enemies of the Good News. But this has been to your benefit, for God has given his gifts to you Gentiles. Yet the Jews are still his chosen people because of his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. 30 Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the Jews refused his mercy, God was merciful to you instead. 31 And now, in the same way, the Jews are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you. But someday they, too, will share in God’s mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all people in their own disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.” Romans 11:25-32
I heard an interesting retelling of the story of the Prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) particularly the interpretation of the elder brother that had stayed at home as the Gentiles and the younger brother as the Jews. We were left with the thought that the prodigal brother (the JEWS) is about to return home. We know what the response of the Father will be, and we wait to see just how the brother (Gentile Church) who has stuck with Him (Jesus), will react to this prodigal’s homecoming. How will you react?
20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’
22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger, and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening in the pen. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the calf we were fattening and has prepared a great feast. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’
28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve worked hard for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the finest calf we have.’
31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you and I are very close, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’ ” Luke 15:20-31
The Romans passage ends thus.
33 “Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! 34 For who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who knows enough to be his counselor? 35 And who could ever give him so much that he would have to pay it back? 36 For everything comes from him; everything exists by his power and is intended for his glory. To him be glory evermore. Amen.” Romans 11:33-36
So what do you think? Is this a relevant interpetation of the prodigal son story? Does Israel NEED to be a part of what God is currently releasing?
Let us know your thoughts
God is really opening up this area for us at the moment. I have just come across a page of great Biblical research on the comming re-opening by God.
This I think will more appeal to your head than the message in the previous Blog that may speak more to your soul and heart.
I have also noticed that as with most things there can be a ding dong approach, either way to much or way not enough of things or swinging in between these two.
With ‘The New’ sadly we have noticed some groups tend to be hurt by and therefore very negative of the church (God’s bride) while other pages of this site I have linked to here can tend to lead you to believe that the church itself is the ‘Alpha and the Omega’. I am so for and endorse and support God’s church but I tend to think that that title ‘A&O’ belongs to someone else. The church IS God’s bride but in the Jewish setting the focus of a wedding is traditionally on the Groom not the Bride. So should our focus be at the wedding feast of the Lamb. It needs to ALL be about the Groom (Jesus) not all about the Bride (the church, us).
I have just listened to a podcast (message downloaded from the internet) it was recorded at Succat Hallel (Tabernacle of Praise) in Jerusalem. The message is titled The Tabernacle of David it is really powerful & good, it dives into the scriptures surrounding the reinstatement of The Tabernacle of David. So please let me encourage you to download it then curl up somewhere and listen it is really encouraging and really good. (If you havn’t already you will need to download Quicktime Player to play it)
Once you have listened to the message please leave a comment as to what you thought or how it Blessed you.
Morgan is 11 yrs old. She lives in San Fransisco, USA.
Right now, Morgan is the only one in her family who believes in Jesus. She lives in a very abusive home.
1 ½ yrs ago she decided to accept & receive Jesus. Alicia, a leader in a local church where Morgan lives, had been the one who introduced her to Jesus.
A few weeks ago, Alicia was talking with Morgan about setting aside a space at her home to be with God because of all that she was experiencing in it. Morgan decided that Jesus could have her room. So she told him. She told Jesus that he could come in & rearrange her room in any way he wanted, cause it was HIS room. Then she added, “But please tap me on the shoulder at school so when I come home I know it was you that moved things & not my sister or anyone else so I don’t get mad at them.”
Alicia then explained the story of King David who as a boy was anointed with oil by the prophet Samuel to be set apart for a specific purpose. She shared with Morgan that both people & things were anointed to be set apart for God. So with the child’s wonder Morgan asked Jesus what she should anoint with oil to make it his. She had very specific places. First it was over her door. She run & put oil on the door exclaiming to a watchful Alicia, “then when I walk in the room, I know I am walking into that special space for God.” Next came the windows. And then in this last week, she anointed the mirror. She told Alicia it was because “then every time she saw herself, she would see herself as God’s princess.” She has also put up some special bible verses, cause it reminded her that it was his room.
Morgan also asked Jesus to clean up whatever he wanted in her room. One day a week ago, she walked into the room to find that Jesus had polished the floor. All the scratches, marks & scuffs were gone. She was so excited. Jesus was making her room, his.
The morning star
It’s early in the morning, half past six.
The sun is about to rise.
It was still dark when I came here; to this place that faces the morning star.
I said: “Jesus, teach me about the morning star; the star that herolds the day;
The star that says: ‘Wait here! Be patient, only a little longer! The sun is not there yet,
but you can already see it in me, in my brightness. Behold, the day is coming. Be patient
and wait with me!’”
I sat there, thinking about how bright the star is. It most probably has a rough, rocky
surface, and yet it is a mirror for the sun.
In fact, that seems to be its sole purpose. The star is totally given to reflecting the sun.
“Jesus, is this true worship,” I asked, “to exist for the sole reason of reflecting You?”
“What about music then?”
“Music is a powerful tool. It has the power to take you out of the dark, clouded perception
of what’s going on around you, and lift you up to show you reality; the reality of the sun
(Son), which you are to reflect. As you declare the truth in song, your spirit will be lifted
off the ground, to those heights where the stars roam. Music, singing praises to God, will
make you stay up there. So music is more a tool that leads you into worship, than it is
worship itself. It takes you into a place where you reflect the sun. It is still dark around
you, but the world can see the sun through you and can know that it is coming; day will
triumph over night.”
“Music, even with the right words, by itself is not worship. It is there to lead you to a place
where you willingly hand over your own agenda and start living for the sole purpose of
reflecting the Son. Thoughts and pondering can do the same. Yet music is more than that.
Like poetry, painting, or other creativity, it takes your thoughts and dresses them
beautifully; it expresses them in a way worthy of a King. Yet, it is still more. It is the
expression of a heart cry, when you get but a little glimps of the beauty of your King; a
heart cry, when you realize your own inadequacy; a heart cry that says: ‘Lord! What the
heck is going on?!? Get me out of this place and restore me to the place that You created
me for: Reflecting Your Glory.’”
“Yes, worship is raw like that, just like the rough, rocky surface of a star (that still
reflects the sun in a beautiful sparkle).”
“The morning star is brighter than any other star; it herolds the morning. Yet, it did not
choose its own position. The Father Himself put it there, just like He Himself gives every
star its place. He alone knows the right place for you; the right distance for you to have to
the ground. The stars shine, but it is not their glory and it is not for their glory.”
The day has come.
The morning star has given way to the sun.
-:-
!! Reflecting Jesus is probably best summarized by saying that it means to reflect His heart to love God and to love people. So, the songs that we sing together will lead us into worship. Worship means to reflect Jesus. And reflecting Jesus means serving God and serving people. (A star faces both, the sun and the earth)!!
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.
Last February, when Helen and Mark told my wife and I that they are leaving Munich soon, it came to my heart to move the Tabernacle from their home into the attic of our town house. After prayer, we all felt this is God’s will and so we proceeded with the idea. I had no idea what I was taking on, no concept or revelation of what a Tabernacle was. I knew as much as H&M were teaching about it, I listened to their experiences, but back then I’ve never been in one myself. Mostly I wrestled with the concept, why God would need a confined physical place, which to me is more an old testament concept. How does this reflect the new covenant with our Lord Jesus? You see, some fundamental questions. I report here about my experience since I started this journey and I can’t say that I have more insight now than before, but certainly more experience. Our attic back in February was a big messy storage area, and I didn’t feel like cleaning it up any time soon. But the Lord was talking clearly to my wife, who spent some time in H&M’s Tabernacle before the move and it sounded right to us to dedicate the Tabernacle on Palm Sunday (March 31st), the day before H&M left Munich for good. When we started to look at the mess in the attic on Saturday before Palm Sunday, we felt slightly overwhelmed to establish the Tabernacle in one day. In my tendency for perfectionism, I wanted to do it all, but it was clear that the attic is a picture of our hearts, before God moves in. And it is a process until the attic is cleaned up and the Tabernacle established. So we were going to throw out the most obvious stuff and cleared an area in the center of the room to set up the Tabernacle with the equipment from H&M’s home. At the end it looked really nice in the middle of lots of boxes, the carpet sitting on top of a dirty concrete floor, and the Lord’s TABERNACLE was dedicated on Palm Sunday remembering Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem from the east.
At the beginning the TABERNACLE was new and I was making the effort to go there. Although I knew in my mind that this is a place where you go to meet with Him, in my heart I was always going there to do something (like praying, worshipping, reading the word etc.). It was hard not to do anything, but waiting for Him to show up. After a while the interest in it got less and less, busyness picked up and the visits in the Tabernacle were fewer and fewer. But there was something I didn’t see coming: The Lord started to work on some of my major issues!!! The biggest one was (and is), who has the Lordship of my life and second how important is my job/career success and where are my fears. And slowly but steadily, He allowed me to face some real fears and worries in my job and life. It all ended with a vision He gave me that scared the heck out of me: A little lamb walking away from me into utter darkness, there was nothing I could see except the lamb, which was full of light turning towards me asking ‘Do you want to follow me?’. It took me days to be able to say a clear yes from the heart, because for the first time it was very real to me the magnitude and consequence of that kind of decision: You have to trust Him completely. But with the Lord there is no turning back so I yielded to His will and embraced the lamb.
But it was far from over. The heaviness of the last months lifted, this was around July. At this point my Tabernacle time was zero. Even during the encounter I didn’t spend time there. Then September came around and and with it an increase of hunger in my heart for more of the Holy Spirit. I wanted to experience the real deal, His presence. Not only talking about it or hearing about other peoples testimonies, but having the revelation of being in His presence. When my wife and kids were traveling for a few days, I decided to fast and pray after work for the rest of the evening. The first night I went up to the Tabernacle. It was such a hard time up there, very dry, the prayers dry, the worship dry, the mind racing, unable to rest, to focus. I left after hours exhausted and frustrated. The next night I was facing the decision another night like this or going to hear a friend preaching; I decided for the second one. At the time of the third night I followed Mark’s advice to relax and to spend time to thank God and to praise Him, which I did that night. I didn’t feel like going into the Tabernacle and so I spent time in the living room and I thanked God for everything I could think of and praised Him. It still was hard work, but at the end I had peace and I felt clearly in my spirit something has broken that night and the time of fasting had an end.
Two days later, on a Saturday afternoon while working in our living room, I felt the urge to leave the house for a bike ride. I had in mind to go to a nearby park in the east of the city. Arriving there, I went up an artificial hill with a look-out at the top. It is a relatively small hill right at the city edge in the east with a great overlook over the entire city of Munich. It was a cloudy day, but the sun beams were breaking through the clouds bathing the city in a bouquet of sun beams, a most beautiful sight. Immediately I started to worship Him until my attention was drawn to a very bright single sun beam coming down. When I followed the beam I realized that it was exactly coming down over our neighborhood. I had seen this before in a vision that heaven was open above the TABERNACLE and that God was coming down! Tears started to flow over my face when I continued to worship Him. Back at our place after taking a meal I knew in my spirit that it is time to go up to the TABERNACLE to meet with God. This time the access was easy. God’s peace was present. After a time of worship, which flowed spontaneously without effort, all of a sudden I increasingly felt uncomfortable. I started to see my uncleanness in comparison to His holiness. First I didn’t realize what was happening and I started to repent, when the presence of the Holy Spirit came closer and closer. I saw His glory and my own unworthiness. Just to clarify, there was not a hint of condemnation. I felt very peaceful throughout. After a while His presence left and I was filled with a heart overflowing with Joy and Peace, which didn’t leave for days. Like walking on clouds…or so.
I have no explanation for this nor do I look for one. I can only tell it the way it was as a testimony. Tabernacle is a place to meet with God, but before you take it on be sure you are willing to give it all to Him, your life, your dreams, yourself. He will take it and work on it…
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.”
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord… Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere…(Psalm 84:1,2a,10a)
When we were praying about the vision of the Tabernacle, We felt that the Lord wanted us to build it in our home first. So we began to pray about it seriously. However, there were no rooms available for the Tabernacle in our home.
After a few weeks of prayer, we felt that our bedroom should be the place. Well, it sounded a little weird at first, but we ended up building the dwelling place of the Lord in our bedroom; the quietest place in our home. Beside the bed, we set up a space with a carpet, chair and some CDs, and it turned out to be the best place for the Tabernacle.
I simply sit on the chair and begin to enjoy the presence of the Lord. For the last few weeks, I have begun to experience love, peace and healing in His presence. Sometimes we do family worship with our kids.
This is a small beginning, but we hope and pray that someday the river of the Holy Spirit would flow from us and fill this parched land; the city of Calcutta, India.
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!
Should I be one to make a Tabernacle, Lord?
“The Lord said to me, ‘Your son Solomon will build my Temple and its courtyards, for I have chosen him as my son and I will be his father.’” 1 Chronicles 28:6
Yes, but that’s Solomon.
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus…And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba, Father.’” Galatians 3:26, 4:6
How do I do it?
“And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. So take this seriously. The Lord has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work.” 1 Chronicles 28:9-10
Then David gave Solomon the plans for the Temple and its surroundings, including the entry room, the storerooms, the upstairs rooms, the inner rooms, and the inner sanctuary-which was the place of atonement. (v.11) “Every part of this plan,” David told Solomon, “was written under the direction of the LORD.” (v. 19)
What if I fail, or get it wrong, or don’t hear you correctly?
Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.” 1 Chronicles 28:20
“I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Phil. 1:6
What happened next…
As my husband and I pursued God with this idea, we realized that He had set plans for a Tabernacle in our home before we had even thought of the idea. Our living room was a sumptuous room, with deep purple walls, a lush red carpet, and lots of bronze and jewel tones. All of our most beautiful things were in this room, works of art, candles, beautiful mirrors and wall hangings. God had planted a vision of a room in our hearts before the idea of a Tabernacle was even a thought. I’m glad He chose to do it that way; it took “me” out of the picture, gave me no chance for pride that I was building the Lord a place. It was His from the beginning; He made sure it was decorated remarkably like the Old Testament Tabernacle, colors and everything. He made sure it was full of things that reminded me of the Beauty of the Lord, the Master of Creation, the Lord of Heavens Armies, and the King of Kings.
I thought it would be a fearful thing, a place of awe and reverence, the throne room of a King. It is. But it is also a comforting place, like a guest room for my family; a place to hang-out with a good friend. It is a room for quiet and contemplation; a room for candlelight and soft music; a room for a good cry on the shoulder of the One who can do something about it. It is sometimes even a room of laughter, and dancing, and fun. It is always a room of worship.
Why I expected anything less, I don’t know. It is, after all, the dwelling place of our multi-faceted Lord and God, the all-encompassing Lord of life, our Good Shepherd and friend, our Savior, our Abba. He loves us. That is why He wants to dwell with us. Doesn’t that kind of love just drive you to your knees, make you smile, make you cry? It does me. He is good. He is faithful. He is, above all, WORTHY.
In 2006 when we set about establishing a Tabernacle in Munich, Germany, the Lord reminded me of the most important aspect of the Tabernacle; it was HIS space, not mine. Because it is HIS space, I simply began to ask him what he wanted in it. The first word he said to me was “Karlstatt”. This is the name of a large retail store chain in Germany selling everything from furniture to pencils. The store that come immediately to my mind was on the other side of town on Leapoldstrasse. So I ventured off having no idea of what I was to buy, but i went declaring it was “my shout.” Well what unfolded from there was a step by step, item by item discovery as I went shopping with Him. This process took a few weeks & was distinctly one step at a time being led by the spirit of God & what witnessed in my spirit not my preferences or fashion tastes. Several times I was faced with his choice or mine? I had to lay down what I thought or wanted. It was his space not mine! The end result was a small room with a color theme of blood red (which he later pointed out to me was significant as this Tabernacle was on Daucherstrasse, to road to the only major Nazi death camp in Germany during in World War 2. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can wash away our sin). It was sparsely filled, no chairs only 2 white-blue blankets, 3 red pillows, a large red luxurious mat, a simple white candle, anointing oil, a specially chosen plant in likewise white pot, box of tissues, specifically chosen & mixed music 24/7 & a bible. Simple. Elegant in appearence & His. He honored this with his presence & sojourners rested, prophecised, wept & worshipped him there.
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.
Today has been an interesting day, Helen & I have been very busy moving back into our home. One of the big tasks has been to empty out the room/space under our house. This is the space we believe God has indicated to us that we are to set aside for a Tabernacle, a place that will just be used for meeting with Him and not for anything else.
This room has been used to store all of our everything while we were overseas. We have just managed to get it empty in the last days. I had swept the floor on a couple of occasions, but when I went down there this morning I felt compelled to sweep it again, then I swept it once more, each time more dirt, a lot more dirt came up and away. Then I thought it needed a mop.
I knew what I was doing was not only physical but also Spiritual, as I listened to the Lord I felt I was to mop the floor with just Hot water, interestingly I had just turned the water heater up this morning for other (or so I thought) reasons. The water in the bucket when I was done was black, so I mopped it again, then I felt I needed to keep going and keep replacing the water with new until I could mop the floor and the water in the bucket would still be clear. Well I must have mopped the floor and replaced the water 10 times! Even though the floor had looked clean even after the first sweep, there was more there that needed to come out.
I believe that there was some serious spiritual cleaning going on, even the discarded water was significant I felt the Lord lead me to where to tip the dirty water firstly right at the top boundary of our yard and then progressively down until the last bucket was tipped on and over our rear boundary. Cleaning and claiming in Jesus name.
This morning we followed a ‘Stupid Zone’ prompt and quite impulsively purchased a Stereo for the space. This will be used solely for Worship to Jesus, the King of Israel. We believe the Lord is ready to come and fill this space. Yesterday I heard Him say to me “Mark now that you have emptied the space, do you think that I will not come and fill it?”
We love seeing what He is going to do and love what happens when you surrender All for HIM.