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Many years ago, in Old Testament days,
God was laying out His plan;
So that we all might see,
What…He would do in man.

The ARK OF THE COVENANT,
The place where God did DWELL;
Was built of acacia wood,
And built by man…very well.

Inside of the Ark…man place some manna,
The Israelites had gathered;
This is how God fed them,
Fed them…as they wandered.

Aaron’s rod that budded,
Was also placed inside;
It was a dry, dead stick,
Until God produced the buds, and they did open wide.

Two small tablets were placed within,
And on them…the Ten Commandments;
That God had given to Moses,
Showing all His requirements.

O my…how mankind did try,
And try so very hard;
To live by all those laws,
Or at least, keep up the façade.

Man was always trying,
To reach up…to his God;
In some way to please Him,
He never could…and found that odd.

Try as he may…he fell so short,
Those Ten Commandments, he could not keep;
So he added more…until,
The number 613 had been reached.

O my…O my…really undone,
No hope had mankind;
Instead of being closer to his God,
God’s plan had been maligned.

Thank God…in His infinite wisdom,
He had another plan;
Not that the first was faulty,
But, God knew the weakness of man.

From the time of Adam’s fall,
When sin did enter in;
Because of disobedience,
Mankind now knew…sin.

By the obedience of One…Christ Jesus,
Mankind had another chance;
God reached down to us,
Through Christ…we have entrance.

This ‘new birth’…born of His Spirit,
Now, we can understand;
All that Father God is saying,
And, all that He has planned.

A new creation…birthed by God,
Our Spirit-man alive;
New Testament…New Covenant,
The Cross…to believe…not strive.

Our BODY…now GOD'S TEMPLE,
Comprised of many stones;
Whenever two or more are gathered,
He’s in our midst: He's made us...HIS HOME.

Christ Jesus…our Cornerstone,
And we, compactly fit;
God’s Love is the mortar,
By which we are tightly knit.

The manna that fed Israel,
Becomes the Word of God;
Daily…as we feed on that Word,
We become more like our LORD.

Just as Aaron’s rod did bud,
Though dry, dead…almond wood;
Now, we who were dead in our sins,
Has He ‘quickened’…causing us to bloom.

Those two tablets with the Law,
Written upon them;
Are now written on our hearts and minds,
We become so One...through Him.

As Jesus taught…there are Two Laws,
That come from the Ten;
Love God and Love your neighbor,
The Ten are fulfilled…then.

New Testament…New Covenant,
God reached down to mankind;
By faith…believing…we receive,
By God's grace, every promise in the Book is mine.

Day by day…Father is building,
Line-upon-line…in our lives;
Fashioning us into that Temple,
Not built by human hands or strife.

Allow Him to finish,
The work He has begun;
Become that glorious Church,
That began…with His Son!

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Dec. 5, 2001

Aimee Love
(LHG)