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Tekoa Camp Meeting Central Standard Times on August 4, 2011 and August 5, 2011 9:30 to about 12:00 or 12:30 19:00 to about 20:30 or 21:00 Live feed during those times as stevebrownministries.com (Steve Brown Ministries)

This forum is for members to be involved in ACTIVE discussion of what God is doing in your life. Currently God has been teaching me that He rewards those who seek His face through blind faith.

I want everyone to post a list of how God has blessed you recentally. Be sure to track the topic.

THE VEIL AND THE PILLARS Sermon preached 4/15/2008 @ 1800 in the Riverbend Maximum Security Prison Chapel by pastor Billy Watters. This was originally typed 4/19/2008, though it has been edited often over the next few weeks. It is from notes taken by Paul Buckingham during the service and has not been reviewed by pastor Watters. Errors are mine, not brother Watters. Intro Exodus 26:31-33 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. Every time these colors are given in this order: blue, then purple, then scarlet. Why? Words in the Bible mean something. I think the order of color means something as well. That is what we are going look at tonight. First some background information. The veil was 4” thick and 30’ long and a team of 10 oxen would not be able to rend it. It was hung on four pillars. It has cherubim woven into it. It was on the east just like the cherubim guarding the Garden of Eden. They were guarding the way to fellowship with God. I am not big on looking up the Greek or the Hebrew. But I did look up the Hebrew words for blue, purple and scarlet and the Greek word for veil. The Greek word for ‘veil’ means the same as ‘fracture’. The way/fellowship to God was fractured or broken. One root word for the Hebrew word for ‘blue’ means ‘obscured idea’. ‘Purple’ stands for royal. One root word for the Hebrew word for ‘scarlet’ is ‘worm’. So the veil is an ‘obscured idea of a king becoming a worm.’ Another root word for blue is ‘lion’. Another root word for scarlet is ‘seed’. So the veil is a ‘lion-king becoming a seed.’ Can you imagine, these priests would go into the temple twice a day, every day to trim the wicks in the morning and then to light them in the evening. They would see that veil twice a day every day of the year. What did they think when they saw it: what king would stoop to become a worm? What king would become a seed? What could this mean? Blue That is interesting. Let’s see what the Bible says about the blue. John 19:1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. Scourged…I think the blue stands for the scourging that Jesus received. The soldiers took a whip. The whip had about nine ends. Tied or woven into the ends were pieces of metal. The whip would rip the skin off. Isaiah 52:14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So marred….Never was a man so marred as this. So marred, you would have trouble recognizing this as a man. Is it a man or dog or what? Can you even see this as a man? So much skin is gone, you could see his bones. Psalms 22:12-17 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. I am poured out like water. My heart is like wax; it is melted…my bones: they look and stare at me… This is the blue of veil. To see that the scourging was represented by the blue we have to go to one more place… Proverbs 20:30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly. Purple Purple was the sign of royalty: the sign of a king. John 19:1-2 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, A crown of thorns and a purple robe were signs of a king. Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up. Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. In Genesis 3:18, the thorns were part of the curse for sin. Genesis 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; Isaiah saw a son, called Immanuel: God with us. Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Scarlet Scarlet represents sin. Isaiah called sin red like crimson. Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Scarlet represents the worm. The King has become a worm… Psalms 22:6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people The King became sin. The King became a worm. Matthew 27:45-51 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; Vinegar can be used to relief pain. They thought Jesus called for Elias. They wanted to see if Elias would come, so they got some vinegar and gave it to Jesus to maybe help him hang on a little longer. Jesus did not drink it. I have heard that the victims of crucifixion rub their heels to the bone because they have to push against the wood to lift up and draw a breath. Seven times..seven times Jesus lifted himself up for a good breath in order to speak. ‘Father, forgive them’…’I thirst’…’it is finished.’ Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. God was satisfied. God reached down with his finger and ripped the veil. If stinking man had tried to rip the veil he would have started at the bottom and ripped up. God ripped the veil from the top to the bottom. Can you imagine what the priests were thinking? Matthew 26:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? Can you imagine what the angels were thinking? Perhaps with hands on sword handles: ‘Just say the word Lord, we will come get you?’ ‘Turn us loose Lord, we know what to do?’ ‘Give us permission Lord, we will destroy them?’ Just like that Jesus could have turned them loose. Instead: ‘Father forgive them…’ Atonement The graves were opened and the dead were seen of men. Matthew 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Don’t touch me. Don’t defile me. John 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. Touch me Thomas, put your whole hand into my side. What happened? Why wouldn’t Jesus let Mary touch him and then he told Thomas to touch him? Hebrews 6:19-20 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Between the appearances, Jesus entered through the heavenly veil into the holy of holies and sprinkled blood on the mercy sit. Hebrews 7:23-25 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Once he did this he sat down, because his work was done. Hebrews 10:12-14 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah… Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. He is King of Kings… I Timothy 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; He is the seed… John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Every knee will bow… Philippians 2:10-11 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. And call him Lord to the glory of God the Father. Don’t look to Mohammed or Buda or Confucius. Those guys are dead. How can they help me when they couldn’t even help themselves? Jesus is a living way. Hebrews 9:7 But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people: Hebrews 9:11-12 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Hebrews 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. It ain’t a wheel with all spokes leading to heaven. This new and living way is the only way. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Ro 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; The new and living way Romans 10:8-13 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Let’s look at the four pillars Exodus 26:31-33 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. Remember when we looked at the silver being redemption in a previous sermon about the temple. And that redemption price was paid by Jesus. These four pillars stand on silver sockets of our redemption or on the work of Jesus Christ. You want to get to God. You want to have fellowship with God the Father. It is only through Jesus Christ and here are your four pillars… 1. First, you need wisdom from God to know you need to get saved. The Holy Spirit needs to convict you. 2. Second, you need the righteousness of Jesus Christ to get saved. 3. Third, Jesus not only gives you God’s righteousness, but he also gives us justification. 4. Jesus has done all the work, now if you want to get to God, then you need sanctification. Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

I would like the members of each group to get to know each other. We will start by each person posting how they got saved with any details they see fit to include. This forum will serve as the area for the testimonies to be posted and commented on.