Ki Tisa “When you take” Exodus 30:11–34:35 1 Kings 18:1–39 Mark 13–14 Not Without You! Many people in eternity I desire to meet. One of these of course is the Apostle Paul. I would like to know directly from him what he meant by a few statements he made in his letters. I think some of the prophets would be great to hang out with for a while. On top of my list of people though is Moses. This guy just has some incredible traits I would like to understand in more detail. One area to discuss with him is his way of keeping the priorities of life in the right order. Take for instance the account of Exodus 33:12-16. Moses is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. He was to take these three million plus people to the Promised Land. Most modern leaders would have desired directions for the trip, or maybe classes on how to motivate and lead people. Some would have desired to set up counseling sessions with the people to make them feel better about the journey ahead and maybe even give purpose to drive them. Not Pastor Moses! There was only one thing on his mind -- the presence of HaShem! Moses had the audacity to say to HaShem, "If you're not going, I'm not going!" My, how our lives, families, churches and congregations would be different today if we would learn from Moses. If the presence of HaShem is not a part of it, why should we desire to be involved? We live in a day of programs, programs designed to build numbers in our meetings, programs designed to make people feel better about the lifestyle and systems they are trapped in, . . . In the midst of these well-meaning programs I ask, "Where is His presence?" In fact, it would be good to ask ourselves if the latest program would be just as welcome in the local social club as it is in our congregations. Please do not think I am just picking on the Christian church down the road. The Messianic or Hebrew Roots Movement can be just as guilty and in fact even more guilty. We can come together for our weekly Torah readings and liturgies and turn them into meetings which talk about our superior knowledge and practices, all the while forgetting who we are there for. I have been to many a Torah study that never once mentioned the words or person of Yeshua. Many have chosen to forget about the Living Word and instead study only the Written Word, forgetting Who it is that brought them to this knowledge and lifestyle in the first place. See, without the goal of His presence, our lives are just the same as everyone else’s. Yes, we may have more knowledge about biblical matters, but knowledge does not change lives -- His presence does! In our teachings on the Tabernacle across this country I have seen this first hand. When the goal of our meetings is not just to meet with each other, but to meet with the person of HaShem, lives are changed! A passion for His presence would go a long way toward changing the world around us. It would change others because it first changes us! Maybe we should judge our next steps in life by a couple of principles. First, "If He is not involved, I do not desire to be," and second, “If He is not going with me, I would just as soon not go." In light of this, take a few moments to look back over your last meetings or for that matter your last week of life. How much of what you have done has truly been in your own strength? How much have you accomplished without a notice of His presence in or absence from your life? Now ask yourself, how much more could have been done with Him? How many mistakes would have been adverted? How many lives could have been changed? Scripture says the blessings of God are new every day. Make it a point in the days ahead to ask for His presence to go with you from the moment you roll out of bed until your head touches the pillow in the evening. The difference this will make may be life changing to each of us, not to mention those around us.