Joy of Salvation Restoration

From the conviction of your sin to lovingly reaching out to others is a wonderful process.

Psalm 51:10    Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

11    Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12    Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

13    Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

This morning during worship the Lord touched my heart in a wonderful way with a song about Jesus doing all He did at the cross He did all for love. There is a line that says, “The love that tore the veil within my heart.” Suddenly I was transported back in time to the day and evening when I got saved, Dec. 17, 1971. My girl friend and I stepped in the door of what had been a barn, now in transformation to become much more, and my personal walls were destroyed by a Presence I knew nothing about. You could say that the veil within my heart was shredded.

Earlier this morning, during prayer meeting before the service, the verses from Psalms came strongly to mind. We often sang that chorus back in the 1970’s. Thinking about that these two things that the Lord spoke to my heart I realized the connection. The four verses quoted above are a progression, indeed a process every Christian goes through. Before going into this marvelous process, please come with me back to Dec. of 1971 in a place called Freeville, NY where there was a Christian commune called Love Inn.

My first visit to that Christian commune in Freeville, NY was the result of a complex series of events that the Lord used to bring many of us “hippies” of the 60’s era to Himself. I Googled Love Inn and found the following quote,

Begun in the late 1960's as a community of young people seeking Jesus, Love Inn occupied the farm of Peg Hardesty. The community eventually expanded to include a radio and tape ministry as well as coffeehouses, worship seminars, and various publications. The church was later incorporated and the name was officially changed to Covenant Love Community. http://covenantlove.squarespace.com/about

The Lord moved on Peggy’s heart to give the farm to those starting this commune. The way I remember it, the women lived in her house and the guys slept in a part of the barn that was transformed into a dormitory. Peg’s kitchen served all these “strays” until a kitchen was built in the barn. The Lord miraculously provided for everything they needed and that was one of the things that really caught the attention of this former “commun-ist” (misspelling intentional). The other draw was a very beautiful “hip chic” I recently met, she had a joy I didn’t understand, her inward and outward beauty was irresistible to me. Her invitation to go Love Inn with her was impossible to pass up.

Here it was, a “self-sufficient” (really God dependent) commune, something I dreamed of for several years. Great thanks to Peggy, who I only met very briefly, and to Scott Ross who was the founder and Pastor, for following God’s leading. Thanks to whomever provided all those groceries that were bagged on the floor with everyone was gathered around in Peggy’s living room, thanking the Lord in ways I never experienced. Then there was Susan, the girl who captivated my heart. Add to that a big bunch of people still in the uniform of the 60’s (types of clothing and length of men’s hair) who looked like I did. On top of all that was the most important factor of all, the Presence of God all over that farm. It was God’s time, God’s place and my heart had been prepared for the end of my search for something real in this life. All things in place, after dinner there were three of us around a table when the Holy Ghost showed up in great power. I got saved and Susan received the Baptism in the Holy Ghost. What a Divinely orchestrated day!! I got back to my apartment and needed to celebrate. I walked up Court St. hill to the college, in thigh  deep snow in the middle of the night shouting Hallelujah, experiencing that joy and peace that could not be kept inside.

Other verses in that song from this morning’s worship asked what would I have done, what would I have become, if it wasn’t for the Cross, if it wasn’t for that love that tore the veil in my heart. What if Susan hadn’t invited me to go there? What if Love Inn wasn’t there, less than ½ hr drive from Cortland State where we were students? No doubt I, and many hundreds of similar people, would have been dead or in jail.

Now let’s look at the process that starts at such a cross road.

Step 1: Psalm 51:10    Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Salvation requires repentance, the turning from the sinful life we lived before. In order for that to happen we need to understand, in our inner man, that our heart isn’t clean and we can’t clean it up ourselves. Thus comes the prayer for a clean heart. I didn’t understand this concept very well that night, in fact I smoked some hash to celebrate. The Lord’s grace was amazing in that the drugs had no effect on me; I was just so excited about have a new boss of my life, Jesus the King of the Universe.

Step 2: Verse 11    Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Having experienced His presence enjoins this prayer; it is far too wonderful to ever desire to away from. I learned this lesson the hard way. A few weeks after I got saved I took my guitar to and audition for a band at someone’s house in the country. The pipe was coming around as several us where jamming. I didn’t know better than to take what was freely offered. We smoked a lot of pot that night, the air was completely filled with the smoke. When we stopped playing I felt that separation from His Presence. The old paranoia hit me harder than I could remember. Repentance followed swiftly.

Step 3: Verse 12    Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation…

I think it gives the Lord Heart ache when His kids don’t remember, nor experience with ever increasing dimensions, this unspeakable joy. We are saved and can experience Him in ways within and beyond our senses constantly. We all try to do so much on our own, and usually fail or just don’t measure up to His expectations. If we would just stop striving and listen to His usually gentle leading life would get better. His joy will grow in our hearts and we’ll be more successful in every way. The RESTORATION of the JOY OF SALVATION can be a daily experience, even if it is just a depth breath and heartfelt utterance of,”Thank you Jesus.”

Step 4: This is perhaps the most important and most rewarding. With the previous steps taken we can declare our intent to follow the Great Commission,

Psalm 51:13    Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Matthew 28:19    Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost…

20:    Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen

Don’t you just get excited about the end of verse 20, the promise of His Presence with us always and everywhere? How can we do anything less than what He said to do? The love of God in our hearts should stir us with compassion and love for people who don’t personally know Him. To know Jesus is to love Him and consequently all those He died for – that doesn’t exclude anybody. The joy of salvation equates to the joy of the Lord, is exceeds the realm of “happiness,” it is the source of inner strength. This is my biggest motivation for writing these blogs.

In conclusion, look at the command to those who just went quickly through this process. The Law of the Lord had been ignored for a long time. The book was found and read to the people. They experienced deep conviction for their sin and tears of repentance flowed. Now with this new outlook on life, with their commitment to follow the Lord, their leader commands them,

Nehemiah 8:10    Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

DWELLING WITH GOD, PART 2

We left off in Part 1 with the topic of how our relationship with God is on His terms. This is illustrated in the Lord’s direction concerning the design of the tabernacle,

Exodus. 25:9. “According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.”

Everything must come back to this cornerstone truth that the Tabernacle is where we live with God, where we relate to Him. The Father’s heart is not just to have weekly visits with the Saints in the church house, He wants to live among us.

What the Scripture Doesn’t Say

It is crucial in our relationship with the Lord, or anyone else for that matter, that we not get

side tracked and end up where neither nor the Lord intended. It is easy to get side tracked, the enemy would love to see you so busy with what doesn’t matter that you miss the things the Lord has for you. There are many specifics not mentioned in the description of the tabernacle. As an engineer, my carnal mind finds this irritating, I want more detail. The Lord wonderfully gives us all we need, let’s not scientifically try to analyze manna, or the Trinity, arguing as we do so.

Ex.25: 3-7 list some things, but no quantities are mentioned, nothing is said as to how to gather it, how to store it.

Verses 3-7 list some things, but no quantities are mentioned, nothing is said as to how to gather it, how to store it.

3    Here is a list of sacred offerings you may accept from them: gold, silver, and bronze;

4    blue, purple, and scarlet thread; fine linen and goat hair for cloth;

5 tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather; acacia wood;

6 olive oil for the lamps; spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense;

7 onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.

They didn’t know if they would be in 1 place long enough to complete the project, or if they might have to be transporting all this stuff. The scripture didn’t have to say any more for us to get the message to give what the Lord puts on your heart to give, give willingly, give generously, give specifically.

Ex. 25:10    “Have the people make an Ark of acacia wood—a sacred chest 45 inches long,

27   inches wide, and 27 inches high.

11    Overlay it inside and outside with pure gold, and run a molding of gold all around it. 

12    Cast four gold rings and attach them to its four feet, two rings on each side.

Here is some description the ark, but how were the sides joined? How was the bottom held in place? How thick were the boards that it was made of? How thick was the overlay? What was the diameter of the rings to hold the staves?– Who cares? The fact that these scriptures don’t mention these details is that they don’t matter. Those details won’t help you win the lost or become more like Jesus.

Ex. 25:13    Make poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 

14   Insert the poles into the rings at the sides of the Ark to carry it. 

15    These carrying poles must stay inside the rings; never remove them.

How long were these sticks? What was their diameter? How thick was the gold overlay? Did they stick out past the Ark, like we see in pictures, or where they same length as the Ark, so it was carried like a coffin? This would make it easier to walk around inside the Holy of Holies? After all, the Lord did say not to remove the sticks from the rings. Can’t you just do what the Lord asks you to do without knowing all the details? Do you really need to know all the long term implications of obedience? Isn’t God trustworthy? He will give us all we need so let’s not complain or get hung up on tangents that don’t profit.

The Tabernacle symbolizes the unity of the Church

Exodus 26 contains considerable detail about the construction of the tabernacle: The walls and curtains, the boards, the support pieces and connectors. The roof is made of several layers of different cloth and skins. There is significance in the typology of all the detail, however, let’s look at it from above, as the eagle looks down and sees it.

First of all, this is no ordinary tent. It is extremely beautiful and ornate. It is built 1^st class. This shows the nature of God and also how the Father sees the heart of His kids. We can be comfortable in such beauty and splendor, in such extravagance, because we are children of the King of Kings. This is a beautiful place and God sees you as so beautiful, so lovely. He loves you enough to have given His life for your redemption. The Holy of Holies is such an awesome place, so much gold, so much amazing craftsmanship, such a beautiful veil to pass through to get inside. It is in this place that the Father wants to meet with us, at the Mercy Seat, at the heart of everything that the Tabernacle is all about.

Another amazing thing about this tent is that it all fits together. There are lots and lots of pieces. There are big pieces, little pieces, heavy stuff and small lightweights, wood, gold brass, silver, cloth, animal skins. Each piece has prophetic significance, has practical functions and some life application of scripture. All this stuff can only be put together “according to the pattern shown thee on the mount.” Can you see the analogy to the church, to the Body of Christ?

Psalm 133:1   Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

This verse becomes more important in this light. What would happen if the blue loop on the edge of the curtain told the gold tache to stay away, “leave me alone, I don’t want to be connected to that other blue loop.”? (Ex. 26:6). There wouldn’t “be one tabernacle.” What about that big wood board (Ex 26:16), covered in gold? It is happy to be between 2 other boards just like itself, but Oh No, it refused to be put into that socket, thinking it is too good to be put into inferior silver. It would fall down! I believe the Lord sheds tears over the disunity within churches and between churches and denominations.

God’s Presence goes with us:

The first detail listed is the Ark of the Covenant. Just the name of this item indicates that a relationship with God is a place of safety. Noah built the ark that God used to save life from the flood. A covenant is more binding than a legal contract so entering into covenant with The Father demonstrated His love and power throughout the Bible is a safe thing to do.

The intent of this special piece of furniture known as the Mercy Seat, is the place to hang out with God.

Ex. 25:22  “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony…”

The Ark of the covenant played a very significant role in the Exodus, and at other times in ancient Jewish history. The Biblical precedent is,

Num 10:33 “And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days' journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them.”

It is symbolic of God’s omnipresence, you take Him with you wherever you go. The whole tabernacle was designed for mobility, for frequent set-up, tear dawn and transport. From wherever you were when you first got saved, until you get to heaven, your life is an exodus and the Lord is with you throughout the trip. The following promise to Moses is something we can cling to today:

Exodus 33:14   The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”

15   Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place.

16    How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”

It was work to take the ark with them. They had to tear it down, carry every piece with them and set-it all up again when the Lord said to. Just think of the logistics off all that. It was heavy, especially with its contents. It takes some work to carry His presence with us wherever we go. It involves staying prayed up and walking in the Spirit. It requires understanding and bearing the weight of His glory, not just in church, but in the world. Jesus is our example, look what happened when He showed up at the wedding party. He didn’t steal the show but He sure made a difference.

In Conclusion:

We have the choice, continually before us. Do we carry this heavy ark, leading others to freedom, or do we take the easy way and slide into the muck of sin? With every temptation, He makes a way of escape. Ascend the hill of the Lord, or slide down to the pits of hell on greasy grace? Life or death, it’s our choice. Make a positive difference or be another slime ball just fitting in with a hell bound crowd? Our love affair with God should be sufficient motivation to climb up, go up the stairs into His chambers. Love is not something you fall into, it is a mountain to climb. Aaron, and his sons, had to maintain and put on the beautiful priestly clothes. Are you wearing yours?