Dear Family,

Today is Monday, May 8, 2023. It is Day 30; Day 2 of Week 5 in our Count to Pentecost.

Before God allowed the Israelites to reach Mt. Sinai and be granted a formal covenant with many promises, including those that were intended to make them a great nation, God wanted “to prove” Israel

Exodus 16:4-7 (4) Then said the LORD unto Moses; Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. (5) And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. (6) And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel; At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: (7) And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that He heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us.

This proving of Israel by God centered around the 7th day of the week, the Sabbath, the day of rest or ceasing. God made it Holy. Of course, the Sabbath had been in effect since the first week of creation. Yet, here in the wilderness, God reaffirmed the cycle and the holiness of the Sabbath. At Mt Sinai, God formally incorporated it into the covenant and described the Sabbath in the 4th Commandment.

This Commandment has much to do with God’s recognizing a people as His own. God calls it “a sign.”

Exodus 31:13, 15-17 (13) Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying; Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. (15) Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. (16) Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. (17) It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed.

May our God recognize us as His people by our response to His “proving” each one of us. May He bless us to be faithful.

Ben Faulkner, Pastor
©2023, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family,

Today is Sunday, May 7, 2023. It is Day 29; Day 1 of Week 5 in our Count to Pentecost.

As citizens of the 21st century, we have a lot of history we can examine as we look back at mankind’s experiences. As followers of the true God, we need to be acutely aware that there are godly leaders as well as very ungodly leaders. And at times, at least for short intervals, we may not be able to distinguish the godly from the ungodly. That is, until their fruit matures.

God’s Word tells us God found Moses faithful. Yes, Moses was a wonderful example of a Godly leader. The fruit was evident. Yet, Israel murmured against him. In the case of Moses and other such Godly leaders who are following what they have been expressly directed to do by God Himself, murmuring against the leader is equated with murmuring against God. That is how God sees it. Notice what happened in Exodus.

Exodus 16:2, 8-9 (2) And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness… (8) And Moses said, for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against Him: and what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD. (9) And Moses spake unto Aaron; Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel; Come near before the LORD: for He hath heard your murmurings.

Can God work through frail, incompetent, inconsistent, fleshly human beings? Of course, He can. God worked through mere men thousands of years ago; and, He also works through mere men in this-day-and-age.

So, in this passage in Exodus, instead of murmuring against Moses, what “righteous” thing could the Israelites have done, even if they truly believed that Moses’ leadership had somehow failed them? They could have remembered what God had already done for them. They could have appealed to God and approached Moses with their concerns in a humble, non-accusing manner. They could have submitted themselves to God’s faithful care.

May God grant each one of us discernment of HIS LEADERSHIP and insight so we respond righteously to it. And, let each of us remember that we ourselves are being trained for positions of leadership. Studying Moses’ life and the lives of other of God’s faithful servants can help us understand what to expect and how to respond in leadership roles.

Ben Faulkner, Pastor
©2023, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family,

Today is Sabbath, May 6, 2023. It is Day 28; and, Day 7 of Week 4 in our Count to Pentecost.

According to the Hebrew calendar we have been using, today is also the 15th of Iyyar (the second month). This date is mentioned in Exodus 16:1 as the day on which the children of Israel entered the Wilderness of Sin.

Exodus 16:1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

During our Count to Pentecost, the Sabbath days are always going to be in multiples of 7 (7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, 35th, 42nd and 49th). Of course, the calendar dates will vary.

We do not know that the children of Israel traveled on the Sabbath. They may have arrived in the wilderness on ANY day of the week. What we know is that they were following the cloud by day and were led, protected, and granted light at night by the pillar of fire.

Nehemiah 9:12 Moreover Thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.

At the very beginning of their stay in the wilderness, the Sabbath became an issue for them. Israel also began to murmur against the leaders God had used to deliver them from Egypt. The Israelites ACCUSED them of a murderous motive.

Exodus 16:2-3 (2) And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: (3) And the children of Israel said unto them; Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

How absurd! Moses had not asked for the job, but God called him to it. Moses had not wanted the job, but God insisted. And, according to the New Testament writings, Moses was faithful, even in the face of lying accusations. Moses was suffering for doing right!

Hebrews 3:2, 5 (2) Who was faithful to Him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. (5) And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

May God bless us all to deal faithfully with the work God gives us to do and trust He knows what He is doing!

Ben Faulkner, Pastor
©2023, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family,

Today is Friday, May 5, 2023. It is Day 27; and, Day 6 of Week 4 in our Count to Pentecost.

This is a preparation day! God has given us the 6th day of the week each and every week to prepare ahead for the special fellowship He wants us to have with Him and with those He has chosen to be our brethren.

1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

As we go about our duties today, let us consciously prepare for the Sabbath. Yes, of course, there are physical things we do for its coming. Yet, perhaps more importantly, there are also spiritual things we can do to prepare for Holy time with God.

If we enter the Sabbath without conscious thought, are we shortchanging ourselves in our potential fellowship with God? If we enter the Sabbath in a hurried, hectic, or unpeaceful way, are we being dishonest with ourselves when we say. “I have prepared?” If we carry over the everyday cares, worries, and fleshly concerns that are common to our day-to-day lives, are we corrupting the wonderful possibilities for blessings that God desires to give to
us as He fellowships with us on the Sabbath?

Let us be especially aware of our need for preparation as we Count toward Pentecost. May God bless us with the insight on how to truly be prepared for this and every Sabbath.

Ben Faulkner, Pastor
©2023, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family,

Today is Thursday, May 4, 2023. It is Day 26 and day 5 of Week 4 as we continue our Count to Pentecost.

God presented ancient Israel with Christ the Rock in the wilderness several thousands of years ago. Then, about two thousand years ago, He presented the living, breathing Jesus Christ Who spoke the Words of life as He preached to His disciples and the multitudes that followed Him. Today, we have daily access to the Rock and to His Words of life.

From both of these examples, hopefully, we have learned the importance of Jesus Christ as our Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4) and our Source of the Words of life (John 6:63). Jesus has told us we must build as a wise man builds – upon a rock. In Matthew 7 Jesus described the foundational rock upon which we must build as the words He spoke, “these sayings of mine.”

Matthew 7:20-28 (20) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (21) Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. (22) Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? And in Thy name have cast out devils? And in Thy name done many wonderful works? (23) And then will I profess unto them; I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. (24) Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: (25) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. (26) And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: (27) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (28) And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine:

We need this indestructible foundation. We need this unmovable, stable, stedfast foundation. Jesus Christ is our Rock and the Words of God are our foundation. Jesus said the house will stand when one “heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them” (verse 24).

Today, I have a challenge for each of us. Take a few moments and consider each of the following questions: How much of the Word of God do we know? How much of what we know do we use? How much can we recall of what Jesus Christ spoke as a human being bringing God’s good news? How many of His parables can we list? How much of this do we really understand? How much of this foundational knowledge do we know well enough to pass on to others?

As true disciples of Jesus Christ I know we want to earnestly learn and love what God has to say. These words He spoke are the foundation of our way of life. May God bless us to discern the Word of God and build on our Rock-solid Foundation. May we hear and DO the Word of God. The Word of God is worthy to be shared with others who also may hear, do, and live.

Ben Faulkner, Pastor
©2023, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family,

Today is Wednesday, May 3, 2023. It is Day 25; and, Day 4 of Week 4 in our Count to Pentecost.

Through the Spirit of God we are becoming sons of God. And, as part of that process, we have access to God and His divine nature.

2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Whatever it is that we need to accomplish God’s plan for us, God is able and ready to supply.

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

We see a list of the fruit of God’s Spirit in Galatians. This passage tells us that there is NO LAW against such characteristics. Each of these characteristics is completely in harmony with law.

Galatians 5:22-23 (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

As part of our Counting to the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, let us take the time to prayerfully review the abundance of these characteristics in our own lives. It is certainly God’s will that we abound in this fruit, because God is glorified through such fruit.

John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

May God bless us to yield ourselves to God so there will be MUCH fruit for His glory. And, may He give us the eyes to see all of His power working in our lives, along with the other blessings and experiences He gives to us. Truly we have much to rejoice about!

Ben Faulkner, Pastor
©2023, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family,

Today is Tuesday, May 2, 2023. It is Day 24; and, it is Day 3 of Week 4 in our Count to Pentecost.

The Counting of the days between the wave offering and Pentecost ties both special events together. After His successful life as a human, our Savior was raised up by the Father to a life that is forever. The Father was granting Him glory that had once been His already. It had belonged to our Savior when He was the Word or Logos.

Certainly, our Lord and Savior was “ready.” He was ready for the glory. Being waved and accepted was part of the process. He was certainly “ready” to be waved. He had been tried and tested and had overcome totally and perfectly by the power of God.

Now, it is our turn. We are being tried and tested and are overcoming by the power of God. This time of Counting is a time of anticipation. It can also be a time of introspection and a time of perfecting. Of course, we did some of this prior to the Passover. God tells us through the apostle Paul that we were to examine ourselves and then take the Passover.

We can also use this time of Counting to Pentecost to continue to look at ourselves. When humans count their own days, we can learn how very frail we are physically. And, yearly, as we Count to Pentecost, we can be reminded of how spiritually frail we are without the Spirit of the Living God.

Some have used the 49 days (7 cycles of 7) to work on the inner self; to work on the personality issues that need to be prepared for an everlasting covenant with God. It can be a wonderful time of allowing God to accomplish a significant work in perfecting us. It can be a time of seeking to take on more and more of the divine nature of God through His Holy Spirit.

Psalm 119:2 Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek Him with the whole heart.

May God bless our efforts to prepare ourselves to seek Him fully with our whole heart.

Ben Faulkner, Pastor
©2023, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family,

Today is Monday, May 1, 2023. It is Day 23; and, Day 2 of Week 4 in our Count to Pentecost.

Perhaps the ancient Israelites were unclear about why they were being taken into the wilderness toward Mt. Sinai, rather than straight across the desert peninsula. Surely, they knew they were free from Egypt. They knew God had promised them a rich and abundant land; yet, what were they anticipating? Perhaps they did not realize what God had in mind.

Did they anticipate receiving of the law of God? Did they anticipate the special covenant they were being offered? Did they anticipate that God fully intended to test and to try them along the way to see their willingness to obey Him and worship Him as the Sovereign God He is?

Living today in this 21st century, we have the benefit of much hindsight, from history and from Scripture. And, it would be very wise for us to ask ourselves some of these same questions.

Now that these centuries have past, our Savior has come, we know the 10 Commandments, and we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit; are we anticipating receiving more and more understanding of the Law of God, which of course contains much more than God’s awesome and basic 10 Commandments. It is made of much more than the Torah. In fact, it is the entire Word of God.

Our Savior said man must live by every Word of God. And, He Himself is the Living Word of God Who continues to speak to us and teach us what the Father instructs.

Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said; It is written; Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

John 1:1-5, 14 (1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. (4) In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. (5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not…. (14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

May God bless us to anticipate more and more of God’s truth and all the other wonderful gifts He has for us today and everyday, at this Pentecost, and in the final day that will never end.

Ben Faulkner, Pastor
©2023, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family,

Today is Sunday, April 30, 2023. It is Day 22; and Day 1 of Week 4 as we Count to Pentecost.

During this week the Israelites moved on toward the Wilderness of Sin. They had followed the cloud by day as God led them in a path that avoided certain areas and people. God’s choice of the path was deliberate. He knew what the Israelites needed to experience and what they needed to avoid. Exodus 13 tells us that God avoided the land of the Philistines. This, of course, meant a longer route.

Exodus 13:17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said; Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: As we learn to walk with our God in this life, let us be mindful of how important it is that God Himself picks the path we travel. Let us remember that God may often deliberately take us in a course that will circumvent specific challenges He does not want us to face. And, He also leads us into other areas where He intends that we learn valuable lessons for the infinite, ongoing life our Savior has died to provide for us. Although we do not have God’s presence in a cloud to guide us, we do have His constant attention and the light of His Word.

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

May God bless us to savor the lessons of the journey and not question His tactics or His intentions.

Ben Faulkner, Pastor
©2023, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family,

Today is Sabbath, April 29, 2023. It is Day 21; and, Day 7 of Week 3 as we Count to Pentecost.

We are not sure which day the Israelites left their camp at Elim. However, it took some time to move from Elim to the Wilderness of Sin, perhaps several days. We do know that according to the travel log we find in Numbers 33, the Israelites had a camp by the Red Sea on their way to the wilderness area. We also know they arrived in the wilderness on the 15th day of the second month; and, that is one month after they began their journey out of Egypt.

Numbers 33:10-11 (10) And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red Sea. (11) And they removed from the Red Sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.

Exodus 16:1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children ofIsrael came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

The locations of the Wilderness of Sin and Mt. Sinai have received a lot of attention through the years. The meanings of the names have also drawn attention and debate.

Some have thought the Wilderness of Sin got its name from Israel’s rebellion. However, historical records seem to indicate that this area was named “Sin” long before the Israelites arrived.

Most commentaries attribute the name to the pagan moon god whose name was Sin. Some believe the name of the peninsula of Sinai has the same connection. However, the commentaries do not agree. There are a few commentaries that suggest that the word sin is a transliteration of a Hebrew word which means thorn. And, much of the area may be a really “thorny” desert.

Where ever these places are and regardless of the meanings of the names, God has seen fit to record specific names and experiences for us. He has given them to us for our “admonition” as well as for general information.

1 Corinthians 10:1-2, 11-12 (1) Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; (2) And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea…. (11) Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (12) Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

May we truly be admonished and get the lessons God has intended. We must learn whatever God determines. However, please remember that all His thoughts toward us are good.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Ben Faulkner, Pastor
©2023, Church of the Sovereign God