Manifold LIght

 Manifold Light

February 13, 2026

Ephesians 3:8-10

8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles theunfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light ^g5461 what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold ^g4182 wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.

Paul compares his preaching of the gospel to bringing light to the nations (gentiles). He also describes this gospel as a mystery bringing the manifold wisdom of God. Now this is an interesting phrase, manifold wisdom. The underlying meaning of the Greek word  polupoikilos  is multicolored or various. From physics, we know that what we see as white light is actually made up of many frequencies and a prism can separate these out into a spectrum of rainbow colors. That is what Paul is talking about here. In preaching the gospel, he was bringing light to the nations, and not just a simple or dim glow, but a bright and multicolored light that illuminated various aspects of the wisdom of God. The gospel message is basic in its simplicity, but manifold in it’s application to various areas of life. We also need to preach a gospel that applies to every aspect of life.

Paul goes on to say that this gospel not only brings wisdom to the church but also informs the rulers and authorities in heavenly places that the kingdom of God has come. These worldly authorities are no longer in charge. When we look around he world today, we see many evil powers that are trying to subjugate the world, but we need to continue to preach the gospel that Paul preached so that they are put on notice that there is a new sherif in town, a new king is in charge, and that their days of evil rule are coming to an end. 

The way Jesus put it, we are salt and light.

Matthew 5:13-16

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be madesalty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyonelight a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Salt flavors and purifies and light cleanses and illuminates. The gospel of the kingdom brings light to the nations and freedom for the captives. The people of the nations need this word of manifold wisdom of God so that they can live in the light and be delivered from the darkness. So don’t give in to the dark messages of the world, but preach the message of light. Be salt and light and help bring the kingdom of God into all aspects or colors of this world.

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g5461. φωτίζω phōtizō ; from 5457; to shine, give light:--

bring to light(2), brought(1), enlightened(3), enlightens(1), illumine(1), illumined(2), illumines(1), light(1).

g4182. πολυποίκιλος polupoikilos ; from 4183 (various) and 4164 (colors); of differing colors:--

manifold(1).

Tabernacle of David

 Tabernacle of David

February 8, 2026

Acts 15:14-17 (NKJV) 

14 “Simonhas declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. 15 “And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: 

16 ‘After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; 17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the LORD who does all these things.’ (Amos 8:11-12)

In these last days, the Lord is restoring the tabernacle of David, which is a place of praise and worship for all nations. When I think of King David worshiping, I think of Psalm 100.

Psalm 100:1-5 (NKJV) 1 A Psalm of Thanksgiving. 

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Comebefore His presence with singing. 3 Know that the LORD, He [is] God; [It is] He [who] has made us, and not we ourselves; [We are ]His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, [And] into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, [and] bless His name. 5 For the LORD [is] good; His mercy [is] everlasting, And His truth [endures] to all generations.

We enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with Praise, and with great singing and rejoicing. Today is the Lord’s day, so enter the tabernacle of David and praise the Lord and worship His holy name.

Who May Abide in Your Tabernacle?

 Who May Abide in Your Tabernacle?

February 6, 2026

Psalm 15:1-2 (NKJV) 

1 A Psalm of David. LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell inYour holy hill? 2 He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart;

The question of the day is “who may abide in Your tabernacle?” When the original tabernacle was built in the wilderness, not even Moses could enter in to it when the Glory of God was manifested there.

Exodus 40:34-35 (NKJV) 

34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filledthe tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

But then as they journeyed on, the priests were to bring a burnt offering into the tabernacle every day to atone for the sins of the people. But only the high priest was permitted into the holy of holies, and that just once a year.

Hebrews 9:6-7 (NKJV) 

6Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. 7 But into the second part the high priest [went] alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and [for] the people’s sins [committed] in ignorance;

But Jesus ended this temporary practice and made a way for us to approach the Lord.

Hebrews 9:11-12 (NKJV) 

11 But Christ came [as] High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and moreperfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Hebrews 10:19-23 (NKJV) 

19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and [having] a High Priest over the house of God, 22 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. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of [our] hope without wavering, for He who promised [is] faithful.

Therefore, we may now enter boldly into the Lord’s presence, through the blood of Jesus and abide with Him and He with us. The old tabernacle, constructed in the wilderness, has been done away with, and the new tabernacle is the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (NKJV) 

18Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [who is] in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

So the question still remains, “Who may abide in your tabernacle?”, but the answer has been flipped. We no longer sacrifice the blood of bulls and lambs in order to enter the tabernacle, but when we believe in the the blood of Jesus and live in such a way to honor Him, the Holy Spirit comes and abides with us, the tabernacle of the New Covenant.

God is a Craftsman

 God is a Craftsman

February 4, 2026

Psalm 19:1-4 (NKJV) 1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 [There is] no speech nor language [Where] their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. 

Yesterday, we talked some about craftsmen, who can built things to the glory of God. In today’s scripture, we see that God is the first craftsman. We only have to look at the magnificent beauty and order in the earth and the sky to see the handiwork of the Lord. Paul even says in his letter to the Romans, that everyone should know that there is a God just by looking at nature.

Romans 1:20 (NKJV) 

For since the creation of the world His invisible [attributes] are clearly seen, being understoodby the things that are made, [even] His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

There are those that say that science proves that there is no god, but as one trained in the science, I can tell you that the more you study nature, the more you have to believe in a creator. From the smallest elementary particle to the largest galaxy, there is an order and interconnectedness to the universe that can not be explained by science alone. God’s handiwork is clearly seen the more you investigate the way that the world works. In the body, there are many biochemical cycles and one cannot exist without all of the others. There is no possible way for any one cycle to evolve without the others being there to support it. DNA codes for all of the proteins, but needs several proteins to reproduce, so the DNA cannot exist without the proteins and the proteins cannot be made without the DNA. And that is just one biological cycle that works that way. They Lord is indeed an expert workman and His handiwork is magnificent.

So when we create things with our hands, whether physical items or words, like this blog, we are acting in a way to reflect God. The Lord is the original creator, and when we create anything, we are reflecting His glory. That’s part of being made in His image. Therefore, pursue excellence in whatever you put your hand to so that you can demonstrate the Lord’s excellence and goodness in everything that you create. And do it all to the glory of God.

Artisans Called by God

 Artisans Called by God

February 3, 2026

Exodus 35:30-35 (NKJV) 

30 And Moses said to the children of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 “and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, 32 “to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, 33 “in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship. 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. 35 “He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work of the engraver and the designer and the tapestry maker, in blue, purple, and scarlet [thread,] and fine linen, and of the weaver--those who do every work and those who design artistic works.

Exodus 36:1 (NKJV) 

“And Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the LORD has put wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, shall do according to all that the LORD has commanded.”

This morning, a dear old friend of mine put out a blog on the importance of teaching our children to work with their hands. My generation tended to work with our brains. I made my living as a scientist and engineer, but my father did teach me how to build things, and in my retirement years I have done some woodwork and home remodelling. But we have de-emphasized the importance of working with our hands. Our society is in trouble if we don’t have a new generation of skilled carpenters, plumbers and electricians.

The Lord honors those who have skill to work with their hands and who dedicate their skill to the work of the Lord. In Exodus we see where the Lord paid special praise on two artisans who were not only able to work with wood, metal and jewels, but who were able to teach others. They were tasked with building the tabernacle and all of the beautiful utensils and fixtures in it. Their trade enabled them to build things to the glory of God, and their names are memorialized in the scriptures as a result. So we need skilled craftsmen, and we need to give them honor. Building the kingdom of God is not all spiritual. We also need the workers who are skilled in building to make the things that we need in order to preach the kingdom of God. Buildings, sound systems and musical instruments don’t just fall down from heaven, they need someone with skilled hands to make them.

 

The Angel and the Prophet

 The Angel and the Prophet

January 31, 2026

Acts 7:37-39

37This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN.’ 38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you. 39 Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,

Acts 7 presents the final discourse of Stephen which he gave to the leaders of the Jews immediately before they stoned him to death. In it he reviews the history of Israel leading up to their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. In verses 37 and 38 he tells them how the people of Israel heard from God through Moses, the prophets and even angels, but still would not obey. If you saw an angel in a burning bush or heard the thunder and lightning on a holy mountain, would you listen? The people of Israel had many opportunities to listen to the voice of God and obey, but only a few listened. The rest went their own way and killed the prophets and crucified Jesus. Stephen pointed this out to the leaders of the Jews and they killed him for it. Stephen spoke the truth but the leaders viewed it as heresy.

Even today we see this same pattern. We are living in the age the George Orwell wrote about when he said, “In an time of universal deceit- telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” Orwell was not an angel but was a prophet of sorts. He saw the evils of Stalin and the USSR and foresaw an evil, dystopian state where all truth was suspect and individual thought was prohibited. The antidote to this is the kingdom of God where truth is central and love is paramount. So in this age we need angels and prophets to proclaim the truth. But who will listen?

The Face of an Angel

 Face of an Angel

January 30, 2026

Acts 6:8-10, 15 (NKJV) 

8And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

…

15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.

There is a curious passage in Acts 6 about Stephen. It was said of him that he was full of faith and power, and did great signs and wonders. If fact he was so full of the Holy Spirit that even his detractors said that his face looked like an angel. I’m not sure exactly what that means, but perhaps is was something like what happened to Moses when he returned from the mountain where he met the Lord.

Exodus 34:29-30 (NKJV) 

29 Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of theTestimony [were] in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.

So what does it mean to have a face of an angel? How did they even know what an angel looked like? Whatever he looked like, Stephen made a distinct impression on the Jews in Jerusalem, so much so that they put him on trial and then stoned him to death. Something about Stephen aroused their fierce anger. They had just crucified Jesus and now the were going to stone Stephen. How full of hate they must have been to lift their hands against one who even looked like an angel.

Whatever they saw in Stephens face, it reminded then of Jesus. They could tell that he had been with Jesus and their hatred of Jesus spilled over to Stephen. There are also other accounts in Acts where the disciples demonstrated that they had been with Jesus, so much so that they were derisively called “Christians” or little Christs. But the question for us is, “can people tell that you know Jesus?” Is there anything in your face that makes you look different from all those around you? Does your face shine like Moses? That’s a pretty high bar to meet, but perhaps there is something less dramatic in your countenance that reminds people of Jesus. Perhaps there is a peace that come into the room when you enter, or a sound of compassion when you speak. Whatever it is, there should be something about you that demonstrates to people that you know Jesus. It’s like the saying attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi, which goes something like this, “Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.”