11.22.03 red

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Romans 1:20

Creation is a huge canvas
that God Himself, the Artist,
has painted
His spiritual truths on.

and the Bible is full of picture images
to help us understand
our God and our relationship with Him.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Psalm 1:3

Trees in the fall lose their leaves
so they are able to conserve energy
and survive the winter to
flourish again in the spring.

For whoever wants to save his life
will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel
will save it.

Mark 8:35

Spiritual truth is everywhere
for everyone to see.

God speaks through
the sun rising and
the flowers in the fields.

God used the Tabernacle in the Desert
as an audio-visual message.

God used the element of
incense to illustrate
the power of prayer.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:

And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:

And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.

Exodus 30:34-36

May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like
the evening sacrifice.

Psalm 141:2

Making incense was considered “an art”
and so is prayer.
Prayer is an art form because you do it
by feel and by heart, because prayer is unique to each person and each prayer,
and because conversing
with Jesus the Lord of all is incredibly beautiful.

Burning incense is a transformation
of one substance to another.

From solid to smoke.

Smoke changes the atmosphere.
In the time of the Desert Tabernacle,
there were no showers, baths,
deoderant, insecticide . . .
incense transformed the room. . .
the smoke drove out the the bad things
and changed the atmosphere of the room.

The High Priest went into the
Most Holy Place once a year.
The smoke went through the veil everyday.
Smoke went where man could not go.

Our prayer transforms,
it changes the atmosphere.

And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

Revelation 8:3-4

God appeared in a cloud to the Israelites.

We make a cloud for Him to dwell in when
we pray and worship.

But thou art holy,
O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

Psalm 22:3

I will praise you, O LORD , with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders.

Psalm 9:1

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Resource List for 11.22.03

The Holy Bible (Message, NAS, NCV, NIV, NLT)
online