The Purpose of the Tabernacle-Part Two

Jesus further stated "A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house" (v. 14b-15). Do you give light to all who are around you?

Just as there was a difference about the Lord Jesus and His life, that those around Him knew that He was a "teacher come from God"

(Jn. 3:2) so men should be able to tell by our lives and actions that we are "born of God"  (1 Jn.5. 5:1).

The admonition now is to "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Mt. 5:16). Every child of God has a light, a testimony, which he is to allow to shine. To hide it by putting it under a "bushel" is abnormal. The light shines through his good works, done not to attain salvation, but because he is saved. He must be sure his works done "before men" (Mt. 6:1) are not done for the praise of men, else he would then have his reward; they should be done to glorify God. His motives must be pure, for Christ knows them and they shall be revealed at His judgment seat (1 Cor. 3:13); 4:5).

As a group of believers in a local church you, too, have a testimony or a lampstand. If this testimony is not burning brightly, or if you let the "lamp of God" go out (1 Sam. 3:3) in your assembly because of sin, God "will remove thy candlestick our of his place" (Rev. 2:5). Too many individuals have no testimony for Christ and, sadly, many churches where once the fires of revival burned and the light of God shined, now have "Ichabod" which means "the glory is departed", written over them. We need old-fashioned heart-searching to see if we have not left our "first love" and we must "repent and do the first works" (Rev. 2:4-5). If a church can go for weeks on end with no one brought "out of darkness into His marvelous light: (1 Pet. 2:9), there should be some real soul-searching "The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble" (Pr. 4:19). But praise God, we do know, and we must show them in love and compassion. "In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation...ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life"(Phi. 2:15).

"I just found this site and fed and cleaned up by your laver articles, thanks so much Looking forward to it, we have a real story to tell you how God is working in our lives"  WOW look what God is doing. Lets all get in on it. HE WANTS TO USE YOU!

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Get our newest tract, "Your Ticket to Heaven" Call 1-877-827-2871 to order them in KJV, Spanish or ESV.. ABC Sumner

The Purpose of the Lampstand

The lamps were to be lit ''that they may give light over against it" (Ex. 25:37). Any lampstand has one main purpose: to give light. Christ, as the shaft said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (Jn. 9:5). A primary purpose of Jesus was to be "the light of men" (1:4). "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not" (1:5). As we look back now and see the blaze of light He brought to reveal God and eternal life to men, we wonder how, when they saw His miracles and life, they did not comprehend or lay hold of it. God explains it to us when He says men are "dead in sins" (Eph. 2:5); "their minds were blinded" by Satan (2 Cor. 3:14).  They had "the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" (Eph. 4:18).

There were some who saw, for Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt. 16:16). Jesus told Peter, "Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven" (v. 17). It should humble us before the Lord to realize the grace of God that our eyes are open to see the light and to know Christ as our Savior.

Not only did the main shaft have a bowl at the end of it, but each branch had a bowl, and light at its end. These bowls had oil and a wick in them that made the light. The oil is a type of the Holy Spirit and is discussed later. The wick pictures the life of each believer as he burns out for God. Jesus said that while He was here, He was the light of the world; but now that He is gone, His words "Ye are the light of the world" (Mt. 5:14), are in effect.

What a responsibility is ours to take his place in the world.

You, are vital to Christ, to me and to all the world. Is YOUR light shinning?

All new articles on our website http://www.sumnerwemp.com. All new drawings. Enter the drawing once a day, daily for the best chance to get your name drawn.

Get our newest tract, "Your Ticket to Heaven" Call 1-877-827-2871 to order them in KJV, Spanish or ESV.. ABC Sumner

The Lampstand in the Holy Place to see spiritual things

"Thou halt make a candlestick of pure gold...and his branches...shall be of the same" (Ex. 25:31). The gold in the tabernacle represented Deity, for here we see much of Deity. The shaft representing Christ was of pure gold, for "the Word was God" (Jn. 1:1). When Christ said, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (Jn. 14:9), it was not just a figure of speech, for He was "God...manifest in the flesh" (1 Tim. 3:18). In the brass outside the tabernacle we saw the sufferings of Christ, and now in the gold we see "the glory that should follow" (1 Pet. 1:11). Here is true Deity.

The branches were to "be of the same". Does that mean we are divine too? In part now, at least. "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature" (2 Pet.1:4). Make no mistake about it; this is a reality. People ask, "How can I live the Christian life?"  You have a new nature, a new set of desires--divine desires from a divine nature. You will "do what comes naturally". We are definitely a "new creation" with a new nature, even partaking of the "divine nature". We are now "sons of God" by this new birth into God's family. We have the same kind of life, eternal life, as the Lord Jesus, and because He lives we shall live and never die! It is true we are still in this body of humiliation, but when He comes for us we shall be changed. When we see Him, we shall be like him, not only in nature, but completely. What a glorious day that will be!

I just ordered 1000 "Your Ticket to Heaven" 1-877-872-2871. All new contests this month. Enter the drawing, once a day, every day, many do to get their names drawn. Grocery shopping yesterday, I gave out 9 "tickets to heaven" to more lost people than most preachers had in their churches Sunday. Think about that. You can get the gospel to more lost people than your preacher will Sunday morning. This is the only way we are going to really change the world. By EVERY believer obeying God and get the gospel to "every" person.

I love you dear Christian and will do all I can to see you have tons of treasures and trophies in heaven.  "Don't leave home with out them" (TRACTS.) ABC Sumner