Page 15 - July 2014 Catalyst

I’M GLAD TO BE IN THE NUMBER
From Holy Light Tabernacle
15 anderWay CoLuMbia, soutH CaroLina 29203 P: 803.735.6103 • F: 877.817.4985 inFo@HoLyLigHttabernaCLe.CoM • HoLyLigHttabernaCLe.CoM Founders: deaCon JaMes & Pastor dr. Hattie Mae MiCkens
Our Founder, Deacon James Mickens, would sing an old ‘church song’ whose lyrics recited, “Oh, I’m glad to be in the number one more time.” e point of the song was that it is a blessing to be counted among the believers of Messiah and it is a double blessing to be counted among and in the presence of fellow believers.
e song brings to mind how important counting was in Scripture. When it was time to build the Tabernacle, Mosheh (Moses) conducted a census by counting each silver half-shekel donated by all men, age twenty and over. To be counted in the number, you had to pay the 1⁄2 shekel.
It is important to be counted because you are either for Yahveh or against Him. In battle, you want to be on Yahveh’s side. He will not force you to choose Him. If you wanted to be counted in the census, you had to pay the 1⁄2 shekel.
e Hebrew word for “willing” is nabab. In Yahveh’s mind, to be willing, is to do something with the mentality of volun- teering, as in volunteering to be a solider.
You have to give something to be counted in the number. You have to pay a ransom to be covered and to be counted in the census. So then the question is, “do you really want to be counted. Are you willing to pay the price to be counted?”
Before taking the children of Yisra’yl (Is- rael) into the Promised Land, Yahveh in- structed Mosheh (Moses) to take a census
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of all the men over the age of twenty. He was to count those who were truly in Yah- veh’s army because the children of Yisra’yl (Israel) were about to go to war.
Mosheh (Moses) only counted warriors/ soldiers, which means that you have to be a warrior to be counted in the number. An- other song we often sing is, “I’m a solider in the army of Yahveh.”
Well, soldiers don’t pick owers by the side of the road. ey ght in the war. Soldiers don’t wear high heel shoes to the battle- eld. ey wear combat boats and proper battle gear. After all, you are in a war.
Put on the whole armor of Yahveh, that you may be able to stand against the strategies of satan. Because we wrestle not against esh and dahm (blood), but against prin- cipalities, against authorities, against the rulers of the darkness of this olam (world), against spiritual wickedness in high places. erefore take up the whole armor of Yah- veh, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand, stand even more. Ephsiyah (Ephesians) 6:11-13.
e reason Yahveh told Mosheh (Moses) to count those who are truly in Yahveh’s army is because they were about to go to war against giants. Going up against ‘gi- ants’ is nothing to fear when Yahveh is on your side. After all, with Yahveh as your leader in battle, you’re guaranteed to win the war.
Continued on pg 42
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