Rabbi’s Reflections – Friday, February 21, 2020
(Early) Shabbat Shalom,
Pillar Seven: The Kingdom is Expressed in a Quest for Unity – part 4
I want to express a lament. 20 years ago I was part of “The Pastor’s Prayer Movement” in Knoxville. At that time there were about 200 pastors from all denominations who gathered together in 20 cell groups at various times and in various ways and places. There were also quarterly prayer gatherings. Then it ended. I want to write a little of my perspective on this great but in some ways sad experience.
It started with Ken Callaham (may he rest in peace) doing what I would call “prayer driving.” Ken and a few of his friends would drive through Knoxville every Saturday, stopping in church parking lots to pray for those churches, their leaders and their preparations for the next day (Sunday).
They noticed our cars at the Knoxville Christian Center on Saturday and began to pray regularly for us at Shomair. About that time, Gordon Adams, who was part of Ken’s cadre, and Bob Martin organized annual retreats called “The Pastor’s Prayer Summit” along with “Mini Summits.” These two meetings a year morphed into weekly (or less frequent) pastor cell groups. Gordon befriended me and drew me in. I will be eternally grateful to him.
Through these meetings I met great men of God in our area. I will leave out more than I will include. Men like Grant Standefer, Mike McClung, Gerald McGinnis, Sam Polson, Harrold Preyer, David Trempe, Russ Porcella, Brad Brinson, Rick Dunn and many more.
The sad part is that there is nothing like this in Knoxville for the last 15 years; at least I’m not aware of it.
Rabbi Trail: It has occurred to me that there may be such a movement and I’ve purposefully not been invited. But then I decided not to allow my paranoia to drive me in that direction. End RT.
Everything worthwhile (and even those things not worthwhile) requires leadership. Every cause needs a “champion.” Without adequate leadership, every organization will falter. I’m not casting aspersions on any individual or individuals, just making a public lament that the power of unity we experienced 20 years ago in Knoxville has been lost. I pray someone or team of someones (preferably not pastors) would take up the mantle and begin uniting the body of Messiah in our region.
Week 8
Memory Verse: Exodus 20:1 Then God spoke all these words saying, 2 “I am Adonai your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
36 2/17 Monday: Exodus 19-20
37 2/18 Tuesday: Exodus 24-25
38 2/19 Wednesday: Exodus 26-27
39 2/20 Thursday: Exodus 28-29
* 40 2/21 Friday: Exodus 30-31
Question of the day: What’s with all the anointing?
Answer: What ever it is, there is a lot of it in these two chapters. The Tabernacle, the furniture, the artifacts and implements are all to be anointed. Even the priests themselves. Exodus 30:30 “You are to anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them, so that they may minister to Me as kohanim.”
The anointing (Mashach) is from the same word as “Mashiach” (meaning the Anointed One). The Mashach (anointing) makes Kadosh (holy or sanctified). To be holy or sanctified means to be set apart. God then includes time in the anointing and sanctification.
Exodus 31:12 Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 13 “Speak now to Bnei-Yisrael saying, ‘Surely you must keep My Shabbatot, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so you may know that I am Adonai who sanctifies you. 14 Therefore you are to keep the Shabbat, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it will die, for whoever does any work during Shabbat, that soul will be cut off from the midst of his people. 15 Work is to be done for six days, but on the seventh day is a Shabbat of complete rest, holy to Adonai. Whoever does any work on the Shabbat will surely be put to death. 16 So Bnei-Yisrael is to keep the Shabbat, to observe the Shabbat throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between Me and Bnei-Yisrael forever, for in six days Adonai made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He ceased from work and rested.’”
Yeshua is the Lord of the Sabbath because He is the anointing of everything, including holy time. Along those lines, I want to connect two verses that are close, but not contiguous. Hear Yeshua’s words…
Matthew 12:6 “But I tell you that something greater than the Temple is here.”
Matthew 12:8 “For the Son of Man is Lord of Shabbat.”
The Temple was anointed, but Yeshua IS the anointing (anointed One).
Pray with me… Lord, take up Your holy throne. Reign in our hearts individually, as a community and ultimately from Jerusalem, take up Your holy throne and rule the whole world. We call forth Your kingdom through the authority of Your name. Amen.