Tent of Meeting

I enjoyed the nearly 70 degree weather, but Jeanne's teaching in Alliance today even more. It revolved around the Tent of Meeting found in Exodus 33:7-11.

7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the "tent of meeting." Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to his tent. 11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

The Tent of Meeting is your purposeful place of personal encounter with the Lord (ie your quiet time).

"I don't know shortcuts on anything that matters ... your walk with Christ, marriage, raising kids, losing weight, etc."

"I read the Word of God whether I want to or not ... with a pen in my hand. It's Oxygen to my soul."

In a nutshell, here are the six things that will happen WITHOUT the Tent of Meeting...
1. Ministry will become a chore and not a calling.
2. You'll talk about discipleship but in reality will be discipling no one. Moses taught Joshua ministry started and stopped in the Tent of Meeting.
3. Eventually you'll minister through a critical, judgemental spirit not through a heart of love.
4. You find yourself repeatively moving in man's wisdom and not in God's, but frightfully enough will still see results ... God honor his Word.
5. You'll often battle discouragement. We try to get security and happiness through others and things but it will never be the result of our circumstances ... it is an inside job.
6. You have a higher likelihood of giving into your Hell bait areas (ex. disease to please). There are not necessarily levels of sin, but some sin areas costs you more. Sin begins as a seed, prayer combats and aborts it before it takes root.