Sreedhar's Journey

Water is such an important part of our existence. Every planet that we are exploring we always look for traces of water. There is great fascination with Mars because it is the closest planet to earth and with the greatest possibility of life. But there is no water there. Among others, water is used as a cleaning agent. Exodus 40:31, and Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from it. This act of using water reminds me of the days when I used to go to the Hindu temple. We washed before we entered the temple. As I mentioned before, the Hindu temple is designed very much the way Moses' tabernacle was designed by God and eventually the temple in Jerusalem. The exception would be the presence of the Ark of the Covenant. Coming back to water, it is used to clean our outward dirt so that we show reverence for the presence of God. But I am reminded of Jesus' saying that what is more important is what comes out. How are you on the inside? What are...

What is the most expensive clothing that you have ever bought? Don't tell me. I have known of people who purposely fly somewhere, or fly the tailor in to have their garments made or fit. They spend tons of money for this in order to look good for people . The people of Israel made a very expensive garment for the priest to look good for God . Exodus 39:8, And he made the breastplate, artistically woven like the workmanship of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. The part of the garment that I am fascinated by is the breastplate. It has 12 precious stones mounted on it close to the heart of the priest representing the 12 tribes of Israel. The way this is designed was instructed by God. Obviously, the priest's main role was to intercede for the people of Israel with God. These 12 different stones were placed close to the priest's heart for intercession. As followers of Jesus Christ we have direct access to God without the need for ...

Are you an accountant? You have an important role. You help us keep track of everything, both the financial and non-financial assets of an organization. It helps in accountability and sustains the integrity of both the organization and the individuals involved in running it. It was no different in Moses' time. Exodus 38:21, This is the inventory of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the Testimony, which was counted according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest. As you know the people gave generously to the point that it was too much and they had to stop the people from giving anymore. This would mean the inventory of bronze, silver, the various threads and wood were great. Want to learn more about giving and accounting? Check out the bible. It should not surprise us since it is the textbook of life. There is so much to learn from the Bible for everyday living. The principles given are timeless. I have said t...

Do you love perfumes? I do but I am not one who puts them on much since I got to watch my budget after leaving the corporate world. Perfumes usually create a pleasing and attractive environment. Here in this chapter we see it being used in the tabernacle that God has designed. Exodus 37:29, He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the perfumer. In this chapter there is detailed description of how the Ark of the Covenant and the various utensils to be used are made. It was using acacia wood and gold. Then comes the anointing oil and the incense of sweet spices. This can only be a small emulation of the sensation of being in God's presence. Have you entered God's presence? It is pleasing and attractive. I just love it. It is worth all the time in the world. It is more beautiful than being with your spouse or best friend. You want to hug Him and be completely immersed in His love for you. Have you experienced it? Father...

Heard this saying before? "We hire for skills but fire for character". We most often get impressed with a person's skills and experience, but we don't know the "devil" lurking in that person. You could be hiring a scoundrel for all you care and negatively impact the whole organization as a result. I apologize if I am talking about someone you know. The making of the tabernacle needed more than skills. Exodus 36:2, Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work. Is your heart stirred? The character of a person comes from the heart. You cannot see it except through the person's behavior. That is his or her attitude, words and actions. Our God given conscience keeps us reminded about what is right and wrong. But if our heart is not "stirred", then we will choose what is wrong. Skills are not enough. We need character that comes fro...

Are you gifted with the ability to do something special? Yes, there is a lot of mention that your skills are developed with time and effort. However, the speed of development and quality of your skills is a gift that is unique to each one. Moses recognized this as God shown him how to pick the right talents. Exodus 35:31, and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, The best have been prepared for the important job of preparing the tabernacle of the Lord in the desert. People gave generously and the gifted artisans worked with the God ordained materials. Not only did the artisans do the skilled work but they also were skilled in teaching others. Exodus 35:34, And He has put in his heart the ability to teach, in him and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. If we are going to do the work of the Great Commission well, we must be skilled in making disciples and teaching others to do the same. Effort...

When you meet a lady or man and start courting, you cannot get enough of each other. You spend hours meeting face to face, or on the phone. In the old days we used to write more. Ultimately, it results in a covenant relationship called "marriage". God is seeking the same with us. Exodus 34:10, And He said: Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. God told Moses many things but this jumped out to me. Exodus 34:23, Three times in the year all your men shall appear before the Lord, the Lord God of Israel. All men are to appear before God 3 times in a year. Each time people will need to set aside time to travel and be at the appointed place to meet with God. If we have truly intimate relationship with God, our faces should shine like Moses. Exodus 34:29, Now it was ...