Wilderness Living

The following book is a work in progress. Please keep this in mind as you read as it it unfinished and the chapters not complete. However, when The Lord led me to begin writing this, I felt strongly to put it online and work on it live. As a business owner, investor, farmer, cheese-maker, shop keep, grandparent, husband and general do it all person… I find myself with little time to write books. That being said, I do hope that you will be blessed by what is here so far, and continue to check in as more chapters are completed.

A Shepherds Field Guide for Overcoming Tribulation

Written by Mark Bevan

Introduction:

Times and seasons

“Jesus is not coming soon… He’s on his way!” Angus Buchan

The great falling away
Adventure Awaits! Like modern day pioneers, many Christians are about to undertake a journey, the likes of which the majority are greatly unprepared for. In this time, The Holy Spirit is calling out to the church, and more specifically the Bride of Christ, to venture out into the unknown, to come and camp out (tabernacle) in the wilderness with Christ.

This wilderness, or in some translations desert experience, is a time to get alone with God, for the purpose of building a relationship based on a deep understanding of who He is.

Chapter 1: A wilderness Retreat

What is this wilderness The Bible talks about?

“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.”
Mat 24:16-21

Chapter 2: The Marriage Feast – Courting with Jesus –

“He who has the bride is the bride groom.”

It can be difficult for a man to understand the relationship Jesus intends to have with us. But in reality, he doesn’t have to look very far. “Husbands, Love your wives as Christ loves the church”. If there is indeed this Love (Agape) which Jesus holds for us, then why should we not expect to be courted by Him? When a man falls in love with a woman, he can’t help but be captivated by her beauty and nature. All his attention is turned to her, as he uses any means necessary to get her attention and gain her trust. This is what Jesus does with those He loves… He runs after them, chases them down, leaves the 99, even in what may appear as reckless behavior to the naïve.

Chapter 3: Preparing for the Journey

What to pack… what to leave home.
Traveling Light
The right gear makes all the difference.
Proper Clothing
Proper Nutrition
Shelter to weather the storm

Chapter 4: Camping out with Jesus: (Tabernacles)

Meaning of Tabernacles –

The following is an excerpt from the book Hidden Manna For The End Times written by David Eells.

FEAST OF TABERNACLES OR IN-GATHERING
The Israelite’s went to Succoth meaning “tabernacles,” which is also a seven-day feast, and then they left Egypt as a type of the world. (Ex.12:37) And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, besides children. Noah was six hundred when he left the world after his seven-day Red Sea experience. From Rameses to the crossing of the Red Sea was seven days.
The Feast of Tabernacles, also called the Feast of In gathering, represents the last seven years of tribulation for the people of God before leaving the world. (Lev.23:34)…On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. (35) On the first day shall be a holy convocation (rehearsal): ye shall do no servile work. Obviously these last seven days are a rehearsal for the final fulfillment of the Tribulation when “no servile work” or the
“work of a slave” is permitted, because God’s people will no longer be slaves to the old fleshly man as it was with Israel and the Egyptians. (36) Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord (true believers will begin to present their bodies as “living sacrifice(s)” during the Tribulation): on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation (rehearsal) unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made
by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; ye shall do no servile work. This rehearsal will be fulfilled “after the seven days,” on the eighth day/year as it was with Noah when there was a “solemn assembly” in the ark as it lifted off.
The interesting thing is how they celebrated this feast. (42) Ye shall dwell in booths (Hebrew: “tabernacles”) seven days; all that are home-born in Israel shall dwell in booths (tabernacles); (43) that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths (tabernacles), when I brought them out of the land of Egypt…. We see here that the saints will dwell in a tabernacle or temporary, mobile temple (body) for seven years before leaving Egypt as a type of the world. As the Jews kept this feast when coming out of Egyptian captivity, so did they when coming out of Babylonish captivity by building temporary tabernacles from olive branches. (Neh.8:15)…Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and branches of wild olive…to make booths (tabernacles), as it is written. The natural olive branches represent believers from natural Israel and the wild olive branches represent Gentile believers. (Rom.11:24) For if thou wast cut
out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and wast grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree; how much more shall these, which are the natural [branches], be grafted into their own olive tree?
Christians, too, will spiritually keep this feast in the last seven days as they come out of spiritual Egyptian/Babylonian captivity.
(Neh.8:17) And all the assembly of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and dwelt in the booths (tabernacles): for since the days of Jeshua (Hebrew: “Jesus”) the son of Nun (Hebrew: “eternity”) unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. Notice that because of their Babylonish captivity they had not kept the feast since the days of Jesus, Son of eternity, just like the Church in our day! What does living in a tiny tabernacle, which is only big enough for you and God, bring to mind but a personal relationship with God? In other words, it does not signify having a relationship with God only through a local corporate tabernacle. Sad to say, with many, apostate religion rules in their life more than the Word of God. However, the early disciples had a personal relationship with God. That relationship was exhibited through their holiness, power, and dedication to the Great Commission. In the coming tribulation, when the Babylonish Christians of today leave Babylon (spiritually), they will once again seek this relationship. (Isa.26:16) Lord, in trouble have they visited thee; they poured out a prayer [when] thy chastening was upon them.
This feast is spiritually connected with the Feast of Unleavened Bread because during those last seven days they partook only of the pure Word. (Neh.8:18) Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the ordinance. The eighth day will be the Day/ Year of the Lord, which is the “solemn assembly” of the saints in heaven. The eighth
day was also the day of circumcision when the flesh was cut off. As a result, Israel could no longer sow the flesh.
According to the tradition of the Feast of Tabernacles, there are seven days of tribulation in a temporary, man-made tabernacle, representing our physical body (the flesh).
On the eighth day, the tabernacle is torn down, representing death or rapture. They then went to their permanent house, the new body. (2Cor.5:1) For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.
This Feats was also called the Feast of In-gathering, which is at the great harvest, another type of the rapture/resurrection.
(Ex.23:16)…The feast of In-gathering, at the end of the year, when thou gatherest in thy labors out of the field. According to Jesus the field is the world (Mat.13:38) and the harvest is the “end of the world” or in the Greek, “consummation of [the] age.” Notice once again that God’s harvest will be taken out of the world at the end, not seven years before the end. The eighth day of this feast is called the “Feast of Conclusion” or “The Great Day.” Who can doubt that what we are seeing in type is the
conclusion of the trial of God’s people in a fleshly tabernacle on the eighth year, which is “the great Day” of the Lord’s coming? The eighth day is called Shemini Atzeret, and literally means the “eighth conclusion.” It is not only the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles and the fall feasts, it is also the conclusion of all seven Levitical feasts. The Jews consider this day as a picture of eternity and so it is. In the Bible, the number eight is the number of new beginnings, resurrection, regeneration, and eternity.

Chapter 5: Learning to trust – The greatest question… Are You God?

Four foundations:

I am – your salvation
I never leave you, nor forsake you, nor fail you
I love you with an unfailing love
I lead your every step

Chapter 6: Hearing the voice of the Lord, and holy spirit Holy Spirit leading

Chapter 7: Stepping Out…What to expect?

Staying on the Straight and Narrow Path

The Fruit of Obedience

Testing and Trials
Temptation in the wilderness – Satan’s playbook
The Jonah Experience

Chapter 8: Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing – learning to discern the voice of the enemy

“My sheep hear My voice… Another they will not follow.”

Chapter 9: Rest and Relaxation

Learning to rest in Christ

Get out of the impact zone –
Asleep in the boat –

Chapter 10: Learning to Fly

“But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Learn to Laugh… at the little and the big!

Chapter 11: Big Faith means big rewards… and big trials!

Chapter 12: Practical skills and resource reference

Foxes, wolves and the occasional groundhog!
When the lights go out.