Walk Your Way Out of Your Wilderness

Deuteronomy is a book written to instruct the new generation of Israelites emerging from the wilderness.   In Deuteronomy 1:6, God tells His people, “you have dwelt long enough on this mountain:.  The children of Israel had wandered around for almost 38 years searching for the promised land. Now encamped on Mount Horeb, they receive this message.  What does it mean?  Why is it significant?  For 38 years, the blessing of the promised land never manifested.  Day after day, month after month, year after year, nothing but endless wandering came about. Each day ended like the one before it.  Have you ever felt that all your efforts in life were in vain? Have you ever felt like you were spinning your wheels and getting nowhere fast?  Though the Bible never actually describes what the children of Israel were thinking and experiencing during this 38 year journey, we can probably guess with accuracy as we could imagine ourselves in their shoes.  It’s not too hard to reenact what was going through their mind.  What we need to do though is look at the “why” of this whole thing.  Why were they experiencing all this?  To answer that question, we would have to turn back the hands of time, to the place this whole story began.

Close your eyes and paint a picture on the canvas of your mind.  The place is Egypt. The circumstance is slavery.  At this time, the children of Israel are slaves.   They are treated inhumanely and cruelty.  Life is hard.  Each day, life is more miserable than the day before.  Like a child screaming for the attention of their mother.  God’s children cry out to Him. Their  cries reach His ears.  His heart feels the pain and agony of His children.  Unbeknownst to His children, God already had a plan and it was about to unfold.  On the scene comes His man, Moses.  With God’s guidance and care, Moses leads the children out of bondage.  God show His power and mighty hand at work, and His children are eyewitnesses as the plot and plan unfolds before their very eyes.  The children are released into the able hand of their leader, Moses.  This is where the plight begins.

As the children make their way out of Egypt, they find that life has dealt them a number of challenges.  They that held them in bondage are now in hot pursuit for their return.  Without hesitation, the children forget all that happen and fear.  God moves, parts the sea, ensures their safe crossing, ensures their enemies’ death and provides for their needs.  They rejoice, but even that is short lived.  Every challenge that arose only brought about fear, doubt, unbelief, discontent and more.  Where was their faith in the God who brought them through the impossible?  Where were the memories?  Had they forgotten already?  Over and over God made a way. Over and over the children responded the same.  But when is enough, enough?  How many times did God have to prove Himself before the children believed, trusted, and had confidence in Him? God draws the ine and their journey begins.

By the time Moses delivers God message to the second generation, the unbelievers have all died off, that is all but Caleb and Joshua.  Moses must teach this new generation God’s commands.  He must show these people how the previous generation erred in their behavior and thinking.  How does He do that?  Moses reenacts the journey; he plays the movie in their minds and as they watch he points out where they went wrong.  Ok, what that have to do with us?

Have you ever felt that you have been stuck at a point in your life for too long?  Do you feel that life is racing by you and still your situation hasn’t changed much?  Well, that’s where the children of Israel were.  They encamped on a mountain waiting for God to take them to the next place, just as we are.  Our mountain is our challenges we face. Just as God led them from the mountain to the promised land, He has to lead us from our situations into our solutions.  Just as the children of Israel had to travel through the great and terrible wilderness, so we have to travel through some very trying times, tests and trials.  How long we stay depends on us. for the children of Israel, their attitudes determined the outcome.  Ten times trials came.  Ten times, they forgot. Ten times they complained, mumbled, grumbled, moaned, groaned, and provoked God to anger.  Finally God drew the line and withheld the promised land from the unbelieving generation.  God in His mercy, allowed the new generation, Joshua and Caleb to receive the covenant promise.  We are no different than the children of Israel.  How many times has God brought us through trying times? How many times has God made a way out of no way?  How many times has God provided, healed, taught, protected, guided, comforted, loved and forgiven us?  Yet at the first sign of trouble we panic, worry, lose faith and more.  We mumble, grumble, complain, moan and groan.  We question and even at times refuse to see past what our human minds can control and rationalize through.  Where is our faith?  Where is our trust?

We control our minds – what enters and what stays.  As long as we rest upon our human side, we have no hope of seeing anything but despair and failure.  We stay in our wilderness place, roaming from place to place in search of the promised land.  We allow the enemy to feed our mind with lies and deception, and we believe.  We allow these lies to take root and ultimately we choose to remain where we are instead of allowing ourselves to walk through the storm to the promise.  Are you wandering in the wilderness of life bogged down with fear, doubt, and unbelief?  Has your way of thinking kept you from being led into the promised land?  Every man has a choice of what to feed their mind. Will your choice be to walk out of your wilderness? Take the chance.  Allow God to lead you into all He promised, that is, your promised land.

What You See Isn’t What You Get (Nbrs 14:5-24)

How many times have we let our eyes gauge our situations?  How many times have we allowed our human mind to reason through our trials?  When we walked in the world without the knowledge of God, we often face challenges in our lives too overwhelming for us to handle.  As a result, we’d worry and stress over the possible outcomes and how we would fair.  We never knew what would happen from one moment to the next.  Our lives would be overcome with fear, doubt, negative thoughts and the like.  Then one day, God reveals Himself to us. We accept His invitation to be Lord over our life.  Over time, He proves Himself to us, bringing us out of our trials, providing four our every need, performing miracles and more. Things seem to be going well in the early stages our our relationship, but how many of you know that as we grow and mature in God, He expects us to exercise our faith more?  The trials increase. From our perspective, our life takes a turn for the worse.  Here is where we should look back upon our past and remember all God has done.  Here is where we should trust and believe.  Her is where we should stand confidently and firmly in the midst of our storms, yet, for most, here is where life falls apart.  We allow our human nature to take over our reasoning of our human hearts and minds.  Trust and faith take a leap out the proverbial window.  Struggles take hold.  We forget all we experience, all we witnessed, and all we learned and reach back into our nature and react accordingly.  Many of us give up long before the trials end, forgetting the truth of God’s promises and losing sight of the important fact of Who’s in control.

This is where our studies begin.  In Numbers 14, the children of Israel are right in this exact spot.  They had experienced miracle after miracle, received promise after promise, and lived with God like no other people, yet after all this, they still reverted back to unbelief and every situation arose.  Though God had brought them out of bondage, saved them from death and destruction, and provided for their every need, they still weren’t satisfied.  In Chapter 14, the people of Israel are responding to the news reports they had just received from the scouts.  It is said, that the initial response of a person is usually the most accurate indication of that person’s heart.

All but the last two of the scouts returned with a negative report.  As the people listened intent, they began to fear all that lay ahead.  Instinctively and immediately, they respond with complaints and accusations of their leaders.  Their reaction indicated that they had no memory of their freedom from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the events of the Egyptian pursuit, the provisions of water, manna and meat or anything else God had done for them.  Seeing their response and knowing God’s mind, Moses and Aaron fall on their faces on their behalf, interceding before God for  their lives.  While they are doing this, Caleb and Joshua stand to be recognized.  They top participated in scouting this land, but their report differed drastically from that of the scouting party.  They see the land through their eyes of faith and trust in God’s promises and past performances.  They remind the people of that very thing, though their report was disregarded.  Displeased, God’s wrath is about to be loosed upon this unbelieving race.  Fortunately, Moses comes to the rescue.  With humility and reverence, He intercedes before the Creator on behalf of the people, pointing out how God’s plan of destruction would be perceived to the surrounding nations who had already heard of His might.  As a result, God spares the people, but rescinds His promise to those in unbelief.  Only Joshua and Caleb would inherit the land.

What you see isn’t what you get! When we look through our human eyes we can only see failure, defeat, death, hopelessness and the like.  Without the Spirit of faith, without the provision of God, we can only reap the fruit of despair and all it brings.  What you see isn’t what you get when God is involved.  With God, we are given spiritual eyes to see our situations in a different light.  What was once impossible now becomes possible.  Our spiritual eyes accept that we are nothing apart from God.  The worst situations with no solutions, now become situations with possibles.  What you see isn’t what you get!

Instead of complaining, begin praying.  Humbling yourself, cast your problems upon the Lord, then look at the situation through your spiritual eyes as the result come about.  Had the people looked at the land through their spiritual eyes, they would have seen a land without the obstacles.  God would have done as before and opened up the door of opportunities and rained down blessings and provisions.

Pregnant with a Purpose

As I read and reread these verses, I notice that not much was said about Abraham prior to God telling him to go from the land, yet verse one says, “the Lord said to Abram”. That one statement started speaking to me almost immediately. Why? Well, as I look back at my life with God, I realized that I didn’t recognize God’s voice, much less understand what He was telling me, yet Abraham was spoken to and obeyed, that is, he recognized and understood God’s voice. This alone tells me that though he came from a pagan land, he had a relationship with God. Abraham had to have reached a deeper and fuller level of maturity and knowledge with God than most. He was no longer a baby in God. To receive a blessing of this magnitude, to be initially mentioned at this point in his life indicates that self sacrifice, obedience, submission, spiritual transformation had to take place some time over the previous 75 years of his life. Though God doesn’t reveal to us the life of Abraham prior to now, it isn’t too hard to see that a process had taken place and Abraham was now ready to fulfill God’s purpose for his life. This point was the start of that purpose and a test of his training.

There is alot said in these seven verses. God commanded, Abraham exercised in faith and chose. God promised, Abraham exercised faith and believed. God waited, Abraham exercised faith and obedience, and went. God appeared and promised, Abraham in faith responded with heart felt worship. As you can see, at no time did God reveal the entire plan to Abraham. It was a step-by-step revelation, with each step being the trigger point for the next, each step serving as the mechanism for growth in faith.

These verses also show me something about God. God told Abraham to move away from his relatives, yet he took his nephew, Lot, with him. Though Scripture tells us of all the challenges that arise as a result of this disobedience, God still speaks blessings upon Abraham. This shows the deep love God has for us. Even though God is a just and righteous God, He blessed Abraham in the midst of disobedience. He did not take away the repercussions or events that resulted from that disobedience. The seed that was sown in disobedience was the seed that was reaped in the challenges arising from his wrong choice. Abraham received the blessing God promised. Unselfishly and out of love, the first response showed Abraham’s true character and heart’s condition. Abraham humbled himself by recognizing God first and foremost in all he received. He put God first before anything and anyone. A true disciple recognizes his master before himself.

Let’s go back to Genesis 6:1-7 and see a similar trend by looking at the Lord’s call to Noah.

Again we another of God’s chosen brought to the forefront.  Before Noah is approached to build the ark, nothing is mentioned about him except his brief genealogy.  We don’t know anything about him prior to that time, however, the same thing can be said about Noah as was said about Abraham previously.  For God to have commissioned Noah to accomplish the great task of building an ark, he would have had to reach some level in the maturity in faith and intimacy in God.  Every Christian must be prepared for the task he has been called for.  Preparation takes time.  Over time, trials come to make us spiritually strong.  As we grow spiritually, we eventually reach a point where we are deemed ready to assume our position.  This is where Noah is.

From the time of the fall of Adam, the human race continued its downward spiral.  Every heart had reached the very pit of depravity, except that of Noah.  Evil has a tendency to contaminate and spread rapidly.  Spreading in epidemic proportions, all mankind became infected except one, Noah.  To be identified as righteous at this point was a feat that Noah reached.  From the Scriptures, I can see that life began with distinction.  This is shown by the Words, “the Sons of God” and “the daughters of man”.  This distinction is important in gaining insight to the condition of man’s heart and motives, and the condition of the world at that particular point in time.  It also shows us the effects that people can have upon one another.  The use of “the sons of God” and “the daughters of man” tells us that there were two kinds of hearts – those serving God and those serving Satan.  Alone, one group brought hope, that is, in its purest form they focused on One.  Like a deadly infectious disease, the complacent minds of the holy one subtly allowed themselves to be infected by the things of the world.  Like a lion on the prowl, their minds became prey and the purity of heart they had once possessed became polluted with the evil tendency of satan’s servants, attitudes and ways.  What once distinguished these groups from each other, now became the thing that identified them as one entity.  Evil had now taken root in the hearts of all except one, Noah.  Hope for the future lay in the heart of this man and through that one man, life was preserved.

As a christian, we must keep guard over our hearts. Our environment has a way of polluting all it touches, hence, your warning – keep guard, be alert.  As we grow in God, God will ask us to go away from this land, that is, go away from those of evil influence. Now I can see why God removed us like He did, only exposing us to what He knew we could handle without becoming contaminated, without becoming infected.

Abraham and Noah were pregnant with a purpose.  Just as a fetus grows in the womb of a woman, developing into a distinct unique individual, so also does a Christian.  The fetus begins with a single egg merging with a sperm.  The joining of the two bring about creation.  With each minute of time that passes, development and growth take place.  The organism begins to take on a life of its own.  The essential elements of development form.  The organism now becomes an individual.  Development continues up to the point where the fetus can survive outside the protected environment.  All the vital elements required to survive have basically developed.  At this point, the mother gives birth and the process of maturity begins.

We Christians develop much the same way.  We are the egg, God is the sperm. We were released into society and through the unction of the spirit, we were joined or united with God.  As God merges His DNA with ours, spiritual development occurs.  God’s DNA determines or sets our purpose.  As development takes place, our vital organs are brought to maturity – our hearts and minds accept in faith, our eyes spiritually see, our ears spiritually hear, the Spirit of God within us begins to beat harmoniously with ours.  We begin to take on a life, that is, we begin to walk in the image of our Creator.  When we have reached full term, we are birthed into our purpose, that is, the purpose we were predestined to by God.

Heavenly Identity

It has always been God’s intent for man to have an intimate relationship with Him. This relationship began with Adam and Eve. Though the Bible does not tell us how long Adam communed with God before Satan slithered his way into the lives of God’s first man and woman, we know that they spiritually died to God resulting in all men sharing that same separation. Hope wasn’t lost however. God sent, Jesus, the second Adam who knew no sin. 2 Corinthians 5:18, says that through Him we were given the opportunity to be reconciled to God, who knew that He was not only going to give Jesus for us, but knew He was going to be able to reach and change us through this reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 tells is that if we be risen in Christ Jesus, we rose as a different person then when we died, that is, different in quality. We are not who we use to be. Through an act of faith, we were saved by grace, putting to death the old nature in order that we might allow Jesus to live within us. To reap the full benefits of our salvation however, we must put on our new nature, allowing our minds to be transformed by the Word of God (Romans 12:2). How do we do that? We find out who we are in Christ by studying and meditating on God’s Word and then changing the way we think and speak in relationship to who we are. The more we allow the Spirit of the Word to manifest in our lives, the more we become the byproduct of our thoughts, words and actions. This however, is not a one time process, it is a daily commitment. By transforming our minds daily, we are enabled to walk in our heavenly authority. As our hearts are illuminated by God’s Word, we will learn what kind of access we have to Him.

When we died and were raised with Jesus, we became a new man. That new man took on the image of Jesus in every way. The old person we were died to Him. That means we have the same power and authority Jesus has, but most of us fail to realize that because the enemy has made it his mission to ensure we never fully understand or receive that point. He blinds us with thoughts of inadequacy, fills our minds with lies, condemnation, fear and doubt, tells us what we can’t do. In this state, our faith is weakened. In this weakened state of faith, we struggle to keep the enemy at bay. We must learn to silence the enemy the minute the onslaught of negative thoughts arise in our mind. Speak the promises of God out loud. As we do, we become what we speak, “for our mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart”.

2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us “we are therefore Christ’s ambassadors”. For this reason, it is important for us to have the new qualities and nature living in us so as to bring us to spiritual maturity, the place where only the Word of God exists in us. To do this, we must rid ourselves of views contrary to God’s Word. In taking on the new nature, we must recognize that we are no longer sinners. 2 Peter 1:3-4 tells us that God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. It adds that God gives us the precious promise to pardon our sin. Sin is alive and was given right to enter the world by Adam, but the same sin was broken and defeated by Jesus. Jesus is the Word. By always walking in agreement with God’s Word, in faith, we open our heart up to Jesus (Ephesians 3:17), allowing the power of God to flow through us while giving us the ability to enforce his every Word.

It is this faith that gives us confidence that we are the righteous and holy ones of God. As we earnestly seek Him, He promises to reward us as we walk into the purpose to which He has called us. As we grow in mind and soul with Jesus, we will begin to see the awesome power of God manifest right before our eyes and the eyes of the world. God has called each of us to go into all the world and preach the good new to all creation (Mark 16:15). As we serve and grow, God will entrust us with more, taking us to new dimensions.

Knowing Your Enemy

Any soldier knows that to be successful in any battle, they must know their enemy in and out. What we as Christians fail to see, is that we are all soldiers for God. It is important to know who our enemy is, for without that knowledge how can we fight against him? The Bible tells us that the devil is prowling like a lion seeking who he may devour. I don’t know about you, but everyday is a challenge and those challenges take on many forms. For this reason, I decided it’s high time to get to know our enemy and his fallen angels. 

Let’s turn to 1 Timothy 4:1, “Now the Spirit says expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, following after misleading spirits and doctrines of devils.”

We live in the latter times where devils and demons are battling for control of our souls.  What most of fail to realize is what position we have in Christ, making it easier for us to be misled by the enemy. 

We all know the story of Adam, but there is so much to his story that we overlook.  God created Adam in his image, after His own likeness.  The Bible says, that God is Spirit and we must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.  So that means we are Spirit also.  Deep within us we have a spirit man that Christ occupies when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior.  Have you ever wondered why it is that we have so many struggles to walk like Him?    The Bible tells us that upon man’s creation, God gave him dominion over the earth, the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, the cattle, and the wild beasts that move upon it.  That means that God gave a man made of flesh to have dominion.  When Adam sinned against God by eating the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, he became spiritually separated from God, impacting mankind forever.  That, however, wasn’t the only impact Adam’s sin had upon man.  When the enemy lured God’s first creation to sin, he wrested man dominion over all that God had ordained.  Through one man’s sin, all mankind was condemned and through one man’s obedience, all were made righteous.  This is important to our study, as this one point is the key to fighting the devil and his fallen angels.

When man was created by God, he was created in a physical body.  Man is made up of three parts: the body, the soul and the spirit.  That physical body contains the spirit man and soul.  The Spirit and the Soul are housed within our hearts.  When we accept Christ, God’s Spirit immediately inhabits the Spirit of our bodies.  There we are the image of Christ.  So what’s the problem?  We are made up of more than a Spirit, we are also made up of a soul which possesses the mind, will and emotions.  This soul is the rational thinking man within us, the part the devil seeks to destroy.  This part is not instantly holy and righteous, as it has to be allowed to be influenced by the Spirit man inside us. 

Most of us don’t fully relinquish our minds to the Spirit of the Word of God.  We hold on to its every thought, not knowing or being aware that many of the thoughts we hold on to are implanted there by the enemy.  If the enemy can get us to dwell upon those thoughts, he is able to direct our word and actions.  If we dwell upon those thoughts long enough, we become what we think as evidenced by the words that come from our mouth.  Now the mouth has power to create, so what we speak out, is what we reap in our life.  When we speak out our negative thoughts, we unknowingly invite the enemy into our lives to wreak havoc.  The key to our overcoming the enemy is allow the spirit man within us to align our thoughts up with the Word of God.  Our thoughts will then carry over to our words.  When we speak the words of God, they will affect our soul and reach through us to the outside and affect our surroundings.  Let me say this one more time – the spirit and the soul must be aligned for us to reap the benefits of our Salvation to the fullest and to be empowered to overcome the enemy seeking to kill, steal and destroy.

So what significance did Jesus have for us?  When Jesus died upon the cross, we died with him.  Just as Adam experience a spiritual separation from God, so Jesus experienced the same separation as God turned his face from Him.  When Jesus was buried in the grave, we also were buried in the grave.  Just as Adam experienced a physical death, Jesus also experienced the same kind of death.  When Jesus went to hell for three days, He took upon  Himself the penalty we would pay in the day of judgment.  The good news though, is Jesus didn’t stay down for long.  In three days, He was raised to the right hand of the throne, where the Bible says we also were raised and now sit.

So what does that mean to us?  When we died and were raised with Jesus, we became a new man.  That new man took on the image of Jesus in every way.  The old person we were died to Him.  That means we have the same power and authority Jesus has, but most of us fail to realize that because the enemy has made it his mission to ensure we never fully understand or receive that point.  He blinds us with thoughts of inadequacy, fills our minds with lies, tells us what we can’t do, fills our minds with condemnation, fear, doubt and more. In this state, our faith is weakened.  In the weakened state, we struggle to keep the enemy at bay.  We must learn to silence the enemy the minute the onslaught of negative thoughts arise in our mind.  Speak the promises of God out loud.  As we do, we become what we speak, “for the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart”.   Remember the heart is where the spirit and soul dwell.

This means that we are going to come into a confrontation; we are going to run into opposition of the devil when we live for God. The Bible tells us to fight the good fight of faith. We are living in the last days and the devil has intensified his power. As a result of seducing spirits, men are departing from the faith. God gave the faith of the gospel to be kept by us. He gave the doctrines of the gospel to be guarded by us. It’s easy to identify evil when it’s coming from a mosque, but it’s not so easy to identify the doctrine of devils when it is taught from a pulpit in the church.

The key point to remember is that the enemy has no power, except that which we give Him.  He doesn’t want us to know that and as long as we stay blinded, he is empowered to bring havoc upon our lives. We are duped to believe that he has a god given right to operate the way he is operating. 

So who is this enemy, where did he come from?

Let’s read Ezekial 28:13-19 and find out who it is we are fighting against and  what the devil gains by lying?  To get to the root of the answers to these questions, we must build our doctrines and thoughts upon the Word of God.  So let’s see what God’s Word has to say…

“You have been in Eden, the garden of God; you were decked with every precious stone, the sardius, the topaz, and the emerald, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire and the pearls; and you have filled your treasuries with gold and your chests with precious stones; you had all of these things from the day you were created.  You were with the anointed cherub that shelters; and I have set you on the holy mountain of God; and you were safe in the midst of the stones of fire.  You were perfect in your ways, from the day that you were created till iniquity was found in you. By the multitude of your merchandise you have filled the land with iniquity and you have sinned; therefore I will cast you from this mountain of God; and I will destroy you, O sheltering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.  Since your heart was lifted up because of your beauty, now your wisdom and your beauty are corrupted; I will cast you to the ground before kings, that you may be a spectacle before them.  By the multitude of your frauds, by the iniquity of your traffic, you have defiled your sanctuary; therfore I will bring forth a fire from the midst of you, and it shall devour you, and I will reduce you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all those who see you.”

Though the opinions of man vary as to who created the devil, the Bible is quite clear.  GOD DID NOT CREATE SATAN!!  God creates only that which is good.  These verses tell us that God created a high, beautiful, brilliant, powerful, angelic being full of holiness, full of the nature that belongs to the people of God.  The book of Job tells us that when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan also came.  It is pretty clear that Satan was not classified as a “son of God”, indicating that he had fallen from God’s grace.  It is also clear in these verses, that God is putting the blame on the devil for being what the devil has become and done.  God is exempt from and takes no responsibility for what His enemy has become.

Ezekial 28:14 tells us this cherub was perfect in all his ways.  John 8:44 says that the devil did not continue to dwell in the truth.  In the beginning, Lucifer was an angel of truth, but he did not continue in truth; he fell from the truth.  That is why he so good at lying.  He was perfect until iniquity was found in him.  The  next verse tells us that the devil was filled with violence and sinned.  God has nothing to do with sin! In this holy place and in the holy angels, something happened to Lucifer to cause him to be filled with violence and to sin, for iniquity to be found in him.  This verse tells us that it was because of the multitude of his merchandise.  Evidently the enemy before he was the enemy had a high ranking place in the heavenly realm and was involved in some kind of trade/order giving.  He was one of the three archangels of God.  He had angelic hosts under his rulership and dominion (Rev 12:4).  He’s an orator.  Because of the abundance that he had, the Bible says he was filled with violence.  He plotted to take spiritual, violent action against God and his angels for this reason.  Obviously he was not satisfied with what he had and felt that what God had belonged to Him (Isaiah 14).

When Lucifer lifted his heart up and corrupted his wisdom, many things happened.  Iniquity was found in him.  He was filled with violence,  and his heart was corrupted.  The Bible further tells us that Lucifer defiled his own sanctuaries indicating there were many sanctuaries.  For this to be, had had to be high ranking.  How did he defile it?  “By the multitudes of his iniquities of thy traffic”.  Obviously, angels were going in and out of his sanctuaries, meetings were being held, sermons were probably being preached to get these angels to get involved with him and follow him to overthrow God.  Up to now, God is not involved, but believe me judgment is justified.  The fall of Lucifer did not come when God cast him out of heaven, it came when Satan’s heart went astray and became rebellious.  When he fell, he fell from the purpose God created him for.

Knowing your enemy is a key to your successful walk with God.  Changing your thought patterns by saturating your mind with the Word of God is your weapon.  Be a doer and a hearer of the Word, and faithfully stand upon the promises of God, knowing you have the power and authority to overcome the wiles of the devil when your spirit, body and soul are aligned in the Word of God.

David and the Dwarf – A Study of David – Part 4

The most famous battle in the Old Testament was not fought between two armies, but between two people.  It was the battle in the Valley of Elah between David and Goliath.  Before however, we look at this battle, let’s look at something that occurred prior to that battle (1 Samuel 16:7) when the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as a man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

We are just like Samuel, looking at the surface appearance of a person when making judgment to what kind of person one is.  If God’s statement ever applied, it applied in the story of this battle, as Goliath had all the things that would normally impress and intimidate.  But don’t underestimate David.  In this instance, David had been given the ability to see as God always sees, and was neither impressed or intimidated by the mountain of a man standing before him.

Now let’s take a look at the battleground (1 Samuel 17:1-3). The valley of Elah was not a narrow ravine, but more like a vast canyon.  The area was probably about a mile wide, opening wider toward the mouth of the canyon.  At the bottom of the ravine between the slopes, was the streambed where David found the stones for his sling.  To one side there was a great slope a half mile or more in size,  Opposite was another vast slope of another half mile, stretching a full mile across.  Camped on one slope was the army of Israel and on the other, the army of the Philistines.

Now let’s consider the major players of this story.  First, there was Goliath, whose size and appearance were so impressive that the Bible describes him in detail as (1 Samuel 17:4), “then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.” Goliath was somewhere near 9′ 9″ tall…an enormous man.  But is wasn’t just his size.

1 Samuel 17:5-7 says that Goliath was wearing a coat of mail.  Underneath was a heavy canvaslike undergarment interlaced with overlapping ringlets of bronze.  This coat of mail went from shoulder to kneww, covering and protecting against the enemy’s weapons.  Body armor of such material and size weighed five thousand shekels of bronze or between 175-200 pounds.  That was the armor alone, but Goliath also wore a bronze helmet and leggings (greaves) to protect his shins, not to mention, he carrieda bronze javelin slung between his shoulders.  The head of his spear alone weighed six hundred shekels of iron or about 20-25 pounds.  The written account also says that he had a “shield carrier” who walked before him.  This shield carrier was designed to protect his body from the enemy’s arrows and was the size of a full grown man.  So in addition to the body armor, Goliath had a man running in front of him, carrying a man-size shield as double protection.  Pause a moment and allow your mind to picture such an imposing sight.  Imagine how frightening it would be to take on a giant of this size protected by this amount of armor.  Clearly, the odds are stacked against anyone foolish enough to face him in battle.

Notice what this mountain of a giant did.  1 Samuel 17:8-9, “He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, “Why do you come out to draw up in battle array?  Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.  If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.” What Goliath did was common in those days, that is, a representative battle, one-on-one fight.  He would represent the Philistines and whoever Israel chose would represent the Israelite army.  Whoever won, his army won.  Goliath didnt issue the challenge one time, his challenge went on for forty days, both morning and evening.  Each time, he flaunted his size and strength, spewing challenges to anyone who would take him on. Isn’t that how the giants of our circumstances and emotions attack us.  They don’t just come once, they attack repeatedly and consistently day after day, relentlessly trying to intimidate.  They come in all forms – people, pressures, worry, fear and more.   Some hammer on your heart, some yelling across the ravine in your own personal valley.  What are you to do?  The story of David will set a pattern for us to follow, so let’s go back to where we left off and see what happened as the battle unfolds before our very eyes.

About 10-15 miles away, David is out keeping sheep.  He’s too young to fight in the army.  What did he know?  David’s father, concerned about his three oldest sons who now fought in Saul’s army.  Unable to make the trip for himself, Jesse sends David to check on them (1 Samuel 17:17-18).  David arises early and sets out to do as his father had asked.  Try to imagine what must have been going through David’s mind as he came over the top of the last rise and saw the enemy spread out below him.  Then as he gets to the edge of the Israelite camp, he sees the troops heading out for battle and hears the war cry. You can tell he is excited and wants to watch, wouldn’t anyone?

(1 Samuel 17:22-23) Picture this for a moment… David is standing there talking to his three brothers, when all of a sudden he hears this loud cry from across the ravine.  Suddenly everyone around him is rushing to the rear and climbing into their tents (1 Samuel 17:24)”.  As he looks across the ravine, he sees Goliath fully girded in armor, cursing the God of Israel.  He must have been livid.  Can you imagine the thoughts running through his mind?

Unlike any other, David saw the present through seeing the hindsight and he wasn’t impressed or intimidated.  1 Samuel 17:26-27 tells us that David asks the men standing by him, what will be done for the man who kills Goliath and takes away the reproach of Israel?  Remember, Saul had given the men an incentive for killing Goliath, but the problem was no one, but himself, was qualified to fight.  Can you see Saul now?  Standing head and shoulder above everybody else, he, their leader, cowers away, but not without a plan for someone else to do his dirty work.

The incentives were more than any one man could imagine, but I want you to notice something – Goliath’s position on this particular day. The Bible tells us that he stood shouting to the ranks of Israel, but look at what is said on the day David arrives, (1 Samuel 17:25), “have you seen this man who is coming up?” That’s right, Goliath has now crossed the ravine at the base of the vally and is coming up Israel’s side.  You see, if you tolerate a Goliath, he’ll take over your territory.  He’ll move into your camp.  He’ll take over your thoughts that normally ought to be on God.  That’s why you can’t affort to tolerate giants, you kill them.

Now let’s look at what happens next.  It’s what Christians often go through during a time of standing by faith, they get flak and it often comes from members of their own family, in this case, David’s brother, Eliab (1 Samuel 27:28).  Don’t forget who Eliab is – he is the son of Jesse who first walked into the house and Samuel thought was king.  Eliab couldn’t have been too happy to see his younger brother chosen to be king, much less be blessed above him, the oldest.  Taken that, he attacks David’s motives and proceeds to humiliate David. Now an average person probably would have punched his brother’s lights out, but instead David ignores him and continues his line of questioning. David knew who to fight and who to leave alone.  Like David we need to choose our battles wisely.  Know who your real enemy is.

When Saul hears about the questions David is asking and the comments he is making, he sends for David (1 Samuel 17:32-33).  Now remember, King Saul is the guy who doesn’t want to fight, but he won’t admit it.  Looking at this small puny child standing before him, he proceeds to tell David that he had bit off more than he could chew, but how many of you know that when God is on your side, size and experience play no role in successfully bringing down any giant.

David is not phased by Saul’s doubt.  Before him, he sees no situation to huge for the Lord to deliver him from.  David didn’t focus on the defeats and failures of his life, he looked at the successes that God had brought him through.  Saul finally accepts David’s request and proceeds to prepare him for battle.  Must have been a funny site to see Saul dressing little David in his armor.  David, however is unable to handle the weapons made for Saul.  What may have worked for Saul, in this case, wouldn’t have worked for David.  Have you ever noticed how we always try to put our armor on someone else or put someone else’s armor on ourselves?  That’s not the way to do battle. God provides each of us our own unique armor to overcome the battles of life.

So here’s David, stripped down to his own simple garments and armed with his own simple shepherd weapons – his sling and his staff – ready to do battle. The beautiful thing about this story is that it’s a perfect example of how God operates.  He magnifies His name when we are weak.  We don’t have to be eloquent, strong or handsome.  We don’t have to be brilliant or have all the answers to be blessed of God.  He honors our faith.  All He asks is that we trust Him, stand before Him in integrity and faith, and He’ll win the battles.  God is just waiting for his moment.

The odds were against David. After picking up the stones, he approaches the giant Philistine warrior with a smile (1 Samuel 17:41-46).  Just imagine it – David stood before this mountain size rock of a man, unintimidated!

Intimidation is one of our major battles in life when we face the giants before us.  We get tongue tied, confused and even forget to pray.  We focus on the odds against us, forgetting who we represent, standing there with our knees knocking.  David’s eyes weren’t on the giant.  Intimidation played no part in his life,  His eyes were on God.  With invincible confidence, he turns the battle over to God.  David lived by a very simple rule – “nothing to prove, nothing to lose”.  He didn’t try to impress anyone, he just ran to meet Goliath.  In the final moments, he readies his sling and with a whoosh, it’s all over.  The stone flies through the air and lodges in the skull of the giant, and there he falls to his death.  The Philistines didn’t wait around after that, their champion was dead.   Out of this battle, the real truth emerged, evident to the troops on both sides of the valley – Goliath was the dwarf and David was the giant.

Winning victories is extremely significant.  Remember them! God doesn’t waste victories.  When He pulls something off that only He can do, He tells us to not forget them.  Four lessons emerge from this battle between David and Goliath.

1) Facing giants is an intimidating experience.  We can look at David’s bravery and victory with perfect hindsight, knowing that God is greater than any giant we face.

2) Doing battle is a lonely experience.  No one can fight for you.  It is on the lonely battlefield that you learn to trust God.

3) Trusting God is a stabilizing experience.  David brought down Goliath with the first stone.  His aim was true and didn’t miss the mark.  He was stabilized by his trust in God.  If you try to tackle your giants in the flesh, you cannot get it done; you’ll lose.

4) Winning victories is a memorable experience.

I dont know what your intimidating giant is today, but God is saying to you right now, “All I ask of you is five small stones and a sling of faith.  I’ll take it from there.  You don’t have to wear somebody else’s armor.  You just trust Me and I’ll strip you down to nothing but faith, accomplishing a victory where I’ll get the glory.  But as for you…trust Me.”  It is God’s love for us that causes Him to bring us to an end of our own strength.  He sees our need to trust Him and His love is so great that He will not let us live another day without turning over our arms to Him, our fears, our worries, even our confusion, so that nothing becomes more significant to us than our Father.  Never, ever forget it: THE BATTLE IS THE LORDS!!!

Soft Music for a Hard Heart – A Study of David – Part 3

Regardless of who we are, music seems to be the very thing that soothes the soul.  Music dates back to the times of Jubal (Genesis 4:21) and is spoken of throughout the book of Psalms.

The Bible says that “the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord terrorized him (1 Samuel 16:14-15)”.  The Bible doesn’t tell us why God allowed the evil spirit to terrorize Saul, but we can assume that God wasn’t too pleased that he had walked against His will.  Can you imagine Saul’s struggle?  Saul only struggled with an inward feeling of depression at the rejection announced to him, but he felt melancholy, insane and without peace.  The evil spirit stirred up feelings, ideas, imaginations, and thoughts within his soul that drove him to the point of madness.  No one around Saul knew what was happening within Saul’s soul, but they realized he needed help and boldly suggested that to him (1 Samuel 16:16-17).

In Biblical times, music was thought to soothe passions, heal mental diseases and even hold riots in check.  It is interesting how God used these beliefs to set the stage for David.  Someone happens to hear that Saul is looking for a musician and the door now opens for David to come on scene (1 Samuel 16:18).  Wow! what a resume! This verse describes David as a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, prudent at speech, handsome and the Lord was with him.

David didn’t know it, but he was getting ready to enter boot camp on the road to becoming a king.  David had to be all God said he was as he never once pulled rank on Saul, never one became jealous or envious of the king’s position, he was truly anointed to let the Lord open all the doors to his future.  David was a man after God’s own heart.  When David walked into the king’s presence, Saul had no idea that he would someday replace him on the throne.  David did what God had called him to do.  With a servant’s heart, he tended to Saul, becoming his armor bearer.  The Bible tells us that Saul came to love David because “it came about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hands; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him (1 Samuel 16:23)”. Can you picture Saul lying on his bed or pacing like a caged animal, writhing from the madness raging within him and there in the corner David sits playing his harp, maybe even singing?

God was definitely with David whose music would not only soothe the soul of a king, but would someday fill the pages of Scripture in the written Word.  The king not  only found relief from his torment, but he found love in his heart for the young shepherd boy whose music touched his soul.

Like David, a spirit filled saint is a song-filled saint.  God’s antenna is always attuned to the praises of his saints.  Never mind how beautiful or pitiful you may sound. Sing out! Sing Loud!, making melodies with your heart to the King of Kings, the Lord your God. If you listen closely, you may even hear the angelic hosts answering back.

Soft music for a hard heart is what David provided Saul.  That’s the soul music that Christ provides and that’s the place we must begin.  He died, was buried, rose from the dead and was resurrected that we may have life and a desire to live a positive, fulfilling life free from depression and despair.  He is our Shepherd and we are his sheep, needing the music of His Voice.  We can rejoice and exult in God together.

A Nobody, Nobody Noticed – A Study of David – Part 2

Who was this man Saul?  What did the people see in him?  This Saul was a real piece of work.  Shortly after becoming king, the people would see the real person Saul was inside.  His actions and decisions soon revealed that he was a selfish, angry, hateful, mean-spirited man.  Later in his rule, something snapped in his mind.  He lost touch with reality, proving himself unqualified for the throne.  So what happened?

Not long after Saul began his reign, Samuel caught him in three serious acts of disobedience: first Saul made a terrible decision (1 Samuel 13); then he made a rash vow against his own son (1 Samuel 14); and finally, he openly disobeyed God (1 Samuel 15).   Samuel confronts Saul and much to his dismay, Saul tries to rationalize his actions, later pleading his guilt.  Saul in attempts to maintain his image before the people, begs Samuel to return with him to worship the Lord.  Samuel not buying it for a minute, delivers a straight-from-the-shoulder jab that Saul would never forget (1 Samuel 15:26-30). Though Samuel finally agreed to return with Saul, he never saw him again after this (1 Samuel 15:35).  The tragedy is Saul never, ever fully repented of his sin.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves though.  Samuel is beginning to feel the pressure.  The people have elected Saul, but he is no longer qualified for the throne.  What were the people to do?  Israel was surrounded by enemies, so they needed someone to lead the nation, but who?  No one knew but God.  How many of you know that long before the problem arises, God is already behind the scenes working it out.  Just because man fails, changes, or dies, does not mean that God fails, changes or dies.  Isaiah 65:24 tells us that before we call, He will answer, and while we are speaking, He will hear.  Nothing is a surprise to God.  He knows exactly what He’s going to do and nothing we do can restrain His bringing it to pass.

In 1 Samuel 16:1, God tells Samuel to go to Bethlehem to find the man He had chosen to replace Saul.  Unfortunately, Samuel in his shaken state, had taken his eyes off God and now appears to be panic-stricken as he realizes he is to return to the very place where the murderous Saul lived. Without answering Samuel’s question, God tells Samuel what to do (1 Samuel 16:2-3).  What of David? David knows nothing of God’s plan.  For him, it was just like any other morning.  Little did he know that his life would never be the same again, but the beautiful thing about this adventure called faith is that we can count on Him never to lead us astray.  God knows exactly where He is taking us.  Our only job is to obey, to live in close fellowship with God as we walk our earthly path.  In the process of that simple arrangement, God engages us in His eternal plan. So what happens next?

1 Samuel 16:4 tells us Samuel did what the Lord said.   Samuel takes the sacrifice to the house of Jesse.  The elders of the city see the prophet approaching and go to greet him in fear, their minds wondering why he has come.   In preparation of what was to come, Jesse and his sons are instructed to consecrate themselves in preparation of the sacrifice. Unaware of why Samuel was there, Jesse and his sons gather together before the prophet, each of them looking at him and he looking at them.  As he looked upon them, he must have wondered which of the sons would be chosen, as each looked fit for the throne.  The Lord tells Samuel to not judge the appearance of these men from the outside as mere mortal do, for all these before him were rejected. God tells him that it is the heart of the man that He uses to judge each man’s worthiness.  Unfortunately, we do not have the ability to see into a man’s heart and know what is there, so we have to look to Him to give us, with our limited focus, that kind of discernment.

Isn’t it ironic that Jesse didn’t even have his youngest son in the room.  Why not?  Like most parents, Jesse reveals two very common mistakes parents make. First, Jesse didn’t have an equal appreciation for all his children and second, he failed to cultivate a mutual self respect among them.  Jesse saw his youngest as nothing more than the one who tended the sheep.  Man forgets…God remembers.  You see, Samuel, with God’s help, now has the proper perspective and instructs Jesse to bring his youngest son to him.  Oh, how important it is to see beyond the obvious.  That’s the kind of vision that Samuel, with God’s help, finally demonstrates at this point. Now, remember David is out tending his father’s sheep when he is called to come before the prophet.  Can you imagine how he looked and smelled as the prophet hobbles to him and pours the oil upon his head?  What did David do afterwards? Humbly, David returns to his flock.

When you have a heart like David’s, that’s what you do. It made no difference that Samuel had anointed his head with oil.  He made no big to do about it.  He expected no special treatment.  He had a job and he was going to faithfully do it, always keeping his ear sensitive to the whisper of God’s voice.

There are three lessons to learn from this study.

First, God’s solutions are often strange and simple, so be open.  God is not complexed or complicated.  Stay open to His strange yet simple solutions.

Second, God’s promotions are usually sudden and surprising, so be ready.  When you least expect it, it will come.  God watches you as you faithfully carry out your tasks and will call you at a moment to carry out a job.

Third, God’s selections are always sovereign and sure, so be sensitive.

If you and I had been Jews living in the year 1020 BC, the same could have happened.  All of our attention would have been focused upon a man named Saul, the first king of Israel.  He was the focal point of the Jewish world at that time.  He was taking the country by storm.  Meanwhile, a “nobody” was keeping the sheep for his father on the Judean hillsides near the hamlet of Bethlehem.  A little boy named David whom nobody noticed..except God.

God’s Heart, God’s Man, God’s Ways – The Study of David – Part 1

David is the only one in all of Scripture to be called “a man after God’s own heart”.  His name is mentioned more than any other Old Testament character in the pages of the New Testament. As a poet, musician, courageous warrior, and national statesment, David distinguished himself as one of God’s greatest men. In battle, he modeled invincible confidence. In decisions, he judged with wisdom and equity. In loneliness, he wrote with transparent vulnerability and quiet trust.  In friendship, he was loyal to the end. Whether a humble shepherd boy or an obscure musician before King Saul, he remained faithful and trustworthy. Even in his promotion to the highest position in the land, David modeled integrity and humility.  What a man of God! But, as we shall see, David (like us) was anything but perfect.  Having earned the public’s trust and respect, he forfeits it all a brief season of sensual pleasure.  Then, as the consequences kick in, we discover another side of the man’s makeup – lustfulness as a husband, weakness as a father, and partiality as a leader.  It’s all there, written for all to learn, preserved for all to remember.  A great man, though far from perfect, nevertheless lived a life with strength worth emulating.  Since our world is desperately in need of models worth following, here is one deserving of our time and attention: David, a man of passion and destiny.

Over the next few weeks, we will study David’s life within the pages of God’s Word.  There the true man will be revealed.  Let’s begin.

On the surface there seemed to be nothing about David that would have impressed.  David looked like any other Jewish boy. Though the Bible describes David in 1 Samuel 16:12 as ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features, nothing about his outward appearance seemed to set him apart in any way.  How many of you know that the Lord did not look at the things men looked at, when choosing His man, David? To man, David was but a mere shepherd and young at that.  Not even his Father, Jesse, thought of David as the Bible tells us that even after seven of Jesse’s sons had passed before Samuel, he still asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” Can you picture this scene, as Jesse stood scratching his head when he suddenly remembers that there is still one sons remaining?  With that being said, Samuel requests David’s presence and suddenly a young nobody becomes a somebody, but before we get to David the king of Israel, we need to go back about forty years and get a sense of history and background, so we can appreciate the world he which he lived.

David lived during a time when the people’s hearts had drifted far from God.  Eli and his wicked were gone. Eli’s chosen successor, Samuel, the last of God’s judges, old in years, appoints his sons as judges over Israel.  What a mistake!  The Bible tells us in 1 Samuel 8:1-3 that his sons did not walk as their father, turning aside after dishonest gain, taking bribes and perversing justice. Disillusioned, desperate and wanting to be like their neighbors, the people demand a king (1 Samuel 8:5-8).  How many of your know that wanting to be like everyone else isn’t always the best thing.

Grieved by the people’s demand, Samuel takes it God in prayer and He gives them exactly what they wanted, but not without a warning.  Stubbornly they listen and against God’s desires they select a king.  The man they chose was Saul.  The Bible describes him as tall, dark, and handsome man.  He comes on the scene mightily, sweeping the people off their feet.  In the beginning stages of his reign, Saul was a humble man, with the ability to rally the people around any cause.  But guess what happened?  Before long, Saul became thin skinned, hot tempered and given to seasons of depression.  So much for the man who was suppose to be the people’s choice.

David was born ten years after Saul became king. Wow, what a time to be born! The people’s hearts had drifted away from God and to make matters worse, they were now disillusioned with the leader they had chosen.  What were they to do with the king they had chosen now that he wasn’t walking with God?  Can you imagine what they were feeling?  Yet, God in love, doesn’t abandon them.  Through Samuel, He intervenes. The Bible tells us (1 Samuel 13:13-14) that Samuel confronts Saul about it and tells him that God has appointed a new king who is a man after His own heart.

Have you ever asked yourself what kind of people does God choose to use?  To determine that we need to look first at 1 Corinthians 1.  This passage tells us that God also has chosen the world’s insignificant and despised people and nobodies in order to bring to nothing those who amount to something, so that nobody may boast in the presence of God (1 Corinthians 1:28-29).  That’s a principle we tend to forget.  When we look for people to admire, we usually choose them because of the they do to dazzle us.  We want the best and the brightest, but that’s not the way God makes His choices.  When God scans the earth for potential leaders, He is searching for men and women like you and me, and like David.  So what did He see in David, what qualities did this mere man have that caught God’s eye?

The first quality God saw in David was spirituality.  The Bible says that the sought our a man after His own heart.  What does that mean?  It seems to me that this is telling us that God wanted someone whose life was in harmony with God.  When you are deeply spiritual, your heart is sensitive to the things of God (2 Chronicles 16:9).  What is God looking for?  He is looking for a person whose heart is completely His, meaning there are no lock doors, nothing swept under the rug.

The second quality God saw in David was humility.  God saw David’s heart and knew that it completely belonged to Him.  David had a servant’s heart, the very thing God was looking for.  God didn’t want a person with a slick public image.  He wanted a man with character, humble and willing enough to assume His divine character. He didn’t need a man with charisma, size or even an impressive track record.  He wanted a person whose heart was spiritually walking with him in humility.  When you have a servant’s heart, you’re humble.  You do what you are told.  You don’t rebel, respecting those appointed over you.  A servant doesn’t care who gets the glory.  Their goal is to make the person he serves look better, ensuring they don’t fail.  Isnt that exactly how David was?

The third quality David had was integrity (Psalm 78:71-72).  God is not looking for magnificent specimens of humanity.  He is looking for deeply spiritual, genuinely humble and honest to the core servants who have integrity.   Integrity is what you are when nobody’s looking. It means bone deep honest.

How did God train David for the leadership role?  His training ground was lonely, obscure, monotonous, and real.  First God trained David in solitude.  He needed to learn life’s major lessons alone before he could be trusted with responsibilities and rewards before the public.  Solitude has nurturing qualities all its own.  Second, David grew up in obscurity.  Men and women of God, servant leaders in the making are first unknown, unseen, unappreciated and unapplauded.  In the relentless demands of obscurity, character is built.  Those who first accept the silence of obscurity are best qualified to handle the applause of popularity.  The third training ground is monotony.  That’s being faithful in the menial, insignificant, routine, regular, unexciting, uneventful, daily tasks of life.  Life without a break…without the wine and roses, just dull and plain. The fourth training ground is reality. Up until now you might have the feeling that despite the solitude, obscurity and monotony, David was just sitting out on some hilltop in a mystical haze, composing a great piece of music or relaxing in the pastures.  That is the farthest thing from the truth.  In 1 Samuel 17:34-35, David is standing by Saul, as the great giant Goliath spews his challenges to the Israel Army.  Remember Saul, that great big, tall guy?  Here he stands shaking in his boots and hiding from Goliath.  Without a moment of hesitation, David responds to Goliath’s threat.   Where did he get the courage?  He learned it during the times he was all alone with God. From David’s perspective, if he overcame the strength of a bear and lion, Goliath would be of no greater challenge as long as God was with Him.

There are so many things we can learn from David’s life.  First, it’s in the little things and in the lonely places that we prove ourselves capable of the big things.  To become a person with a large vision, you must cultivate the habit of doing the small things well.   The test of your life is how well you do when there’s nobody to check on you, when nobody is looking.  Second, when God develops our inner qualities, He’s never in a hurry.  The conversion of a soul is the miracle of a moment, the manufacture of a saint is the task of a lifetime.  When God develops character, He works on it throughout a life time.  He’s never in a hurry.

6 Ways to Pray

1. Aspirations.  A strong aspiration and desire to pray will create the proper climate for effective intercession. (2 Corithians 7:7, Matthew 5:6)

2.  Fervency.  Fervency changed Elijah’s situation, suspended natural laws, and brought about supernatural miracles through prayer. (James 5:16-18)

3. Perseverance. On some items, there will be instant results as we pray, while answers for other requests might take time. However, Scripture talks about persevering and enduring until the answer comes, learning to add patience to our faith. (Ephesians 6:18, Hebrews 6:12)

4. Intercession.  Addresses the pray-er needs, assists in intercession for other.  True pray-ers know the importance of standing in the gap between God and others until the result comes.

5. Praying in tongues. (Jude 20 Amp, Ephesians 6:18)

6. Choose a comfortable posture: Kneeling, sitting, standing, prostrating

Six Kinds of Prayer

1) Intercession is standing in the gap to reconcile a supplier with the needy.  It is learning to bear up people, places, or situations in prayer.  (Isaiah 59:16)

2) Faith.  The prayer of faith is asking God to intervene in a situation. It is urgent and therefore comes up when an immediate result is desired (James 5:15)

3) Consecration. The prayer of consecration is offered when the believer needs to know or do the will of God. At such times, the expressions “if it be thy will” or “let they will be done” become appropriate (Matthew 26:39)

4) Petition. The prayer of petition is often called supplication in Scripture.  It gives the believer the opportunity to petition God until the answer comes.  While the prayer of faith is prayed once and requires immediate response, the prayer of petition may be presented several times, either an oral or written request (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

5) Praise. Praise if a form of prayer.  It is praising the supplier without focusing on the need (Jeremiah 32:17)

6) Agreement. When at least two or three people band together in the name of Jesus to request a thing from God, God promises to grant it. The power of this prayer is in the quality of agreement and the strength of unity among those who are praying (Matthew 18:19-20)

Eternal Communion – The Ark of the Covenant – Prayer – Conclusion

Let’s look more closely at the ark.  Instead of focusing on its construction, I would like to talk about what it symbolizes in being a third dimension intercessor.  I believe, the ark represents the human heart – the deepest, most intimate part of who you are, and the place where the glory of God can take up residence and transform everything around you. 

As with all the other elements in the tabernacle and its furniture, God gave specific instructions to Moses for the construction of the ark of the covenant. Exodus 25:10-16 says, “They shall make an ark of acacia wood: two and half cubits long, a cubit and a half  wide, and a cubit and a half high.  You shall overlay the ark with pure gold, inside and out, and make a gold crown, a rim or border, around its top.  You shall cast four golden rings and attach them to the four corners of it, two rings on either side.  You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. And put the poles through the rings on the ark’s sides, by which to carry it.  The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it [that the ark be not touched]. And you shall put inside the ark the Testimony [the Ten Commandments] which I will give you”

Foreknowing that a believer’s body would ultimately house the Holy Spirit, God demonstrated that He didn’t need to create something to house an enormous seat of power.  Remember, the human heart is so powerful that it forms, develops, and starts beating in a fetus before the brain develops.  It’s the organ in your body that doesn’t have to obey the brain.  In fact, the heart keeps beating long after the brain is dead.  Interesting thing, the measurements of the cherubim on the mercy seat are similar to the measurements of the human chest cavity.  Your heart – the head of your temple – can hold tremendous power, which is imparted directly from heaven in third dimensional, threshing floor prayer.

The ark was overlaid with solid gold on the inside and outside, which represents the perfected union of God and man.  Let’s look quickly at the three elements that were placed within the ark:

1) The testimonial tablets (Exodus 24:12) which represents the perfected Word of God manifested in your life.

2) Aaron’s rod which budded as a symbol against rebellion to God-given authority (Numbers 17:8-10)

3) An omer of manna which represents supernatural provision and freedom from bondage (Exodus 16:32-34)

When these three elements were maintained inside the ark, it housed the glory of God.  Without them present, the ark became just another empty gold box.  When the testimonial tablets were missing, the “empty” ark could not be kept in the tabernacle.  Do you see what God is telling you? We must also come to understand that in order for us to walk in the perfected power of God, these same elements must be present and remain:

1. There must be a manifestation of the Word, not just sitting in my heart, but operative in my everyday lifestyle.  My life must come to a place where I am no longer failing every test and being defeated on every hand.  I must have testimonies. 

2.  Just like Aaron’s rod budding, I must be able to not just stand against that which rebels against God, but in everything I am, I must come to a place that whatever decision God makes for me, my answer is, “Yes, Lord, Thy will be done”.  I must be willing and obedient to His every command, and Aarons budding rod is there to remind me that if I choose at any given time to walk in rebellion, I will end up walking out a penalty.

3.  My omer of manna represents the fact that I have come to trust the Lord, not the man, for everything I need…therefore freeing me from the bondage of worry and fear.  My experience during my time in the wilderness brought me to a place where I know without a shadow of a doubt that my God will supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory, therefore freeing me from leaning on the arms of flesh.

If your heart is not perfected through the process of these elements, you will not be able to come into the most holy place of His glory! An empty heart can not dwell in the secret place. Let’s review.  The work of the sacrifices is done in the outer court, and the holy place contains the workings of the sanctuary.  But when  you pass through the veil into the most holy place, the work of the flesh ceases and the work of the heart of God begins. It is there that you will begin to see what God is doing, over and above hearing His voice.  Every time God is preparing to do something that is going to change the course of your life and surroundings, He will show it to you before hand.  This is why some things cannot be spoken, because the devil would try to take them. Satan will come along and give you another “word” to confuse your sense of direction – but on this level it becomes a little more difficult for him to confuse your vision.  He can’t tell you what you didn’t see in the depths of your spirit man.

One of the best ways to recognize a true vision from God is that it should not make any sense to your natural mind.  It should look like something you couldn’t possibly do. It’s too big for your mind to handle. It costs too much… it would be impossible to accomplish.  It’s not your level or grade in the Spirit.  If a vision doesn’t scare your flesh to death, then it most likely didn’t come from God.  It should be so awesome that it should look as if you don’t have what it takes to walk out this vision, nevertheless, your spirit says, “I’m going to do it anyway.”

Have you ever seen people praising God and then just fall to the floor without anyone touching them?  When you tap into the third realm, your body automatically yields into a prostrate position under the weight of His glory.  Something inside is helping you to understand that you are in the presence of the Spirit whom  you are not worthy to see.  When you encounter the glory of this realm, the flesh profits nothing.  Your spirit can only commune with the Spirit of the Lord as you lie prostrate at His feet. The more you come to God with a pure heart, the more He will take you to new levels and fresh, exciting experiences through your walk of prayer.  If you are ready to find God beyond religion, denominationalism or anything you have ever experienced – He is calling for you.  Let God lead you through His patter of prayer all the way into His presence behind the veil…because that’s where the impossible is not only the possible – it becomes reality.

The Power of Intercession – Entering the Most Holy Place – Prayer – Part 14

You are about to enter into the most sacred part of the tabernacle. Before God will allow you to operate in the faith that brings results through effectual prayer and intercession, there are foundational requirements for every intercessor that you must satisfy in your life.  Now let’s look straight ahead at the divine entrance through the veil. There you will see the golden altar of incense.  Because the golden altar of incense was centered in the tabernacle structure, it was the nearest piece of furniture to the divine presence of God behind the veil.  It represented the heart of the tabernacle service.  Anyone could come into the outer court and wash at the brazen laver before sacrificing at the brazen altar, but only the lower priests and the high priest were allowed to serve in the holy place amidst the table of shewbread, the golden candlestick and the golden altar.  And only the high priest could enter into the most holy place.

God administers a tremendous warning in Scripture to those who are not spiritually qualified to minister in intercession and prayer. We must carefully guard against mixing the wrong ingredients into worship.  The sacred ingredients of the holy incense were carefully measured in the right quantity and blended together according to the instruction of the Lord before they were beaten into the fine powder.  When this holy mixture was sprinkled onto the hot coals in the golden altar, it released a sweet fragrance into the atmosphere that permeated the entire holy place.

When you are a true intercessor – a believer who prays, intercedes, and worships at home, at work, in church or wherever you may be, anyone who comes into your presence should be able to feel the presence of God upon you.  There should be a sweet odor of prayer and worship wherever you go.

In 2 Chronicles 26, we find the story of King Uzziah.  As an intercessor, it is important that you understand the nature of this king, for he defied the law of God concerning the altar of incense.  In the early years of his reign, King Uzziah had a relationship with God.  He began his reign correctly under the spiritual covering of the prophet Zechariah. In his early years, King Uzziah yearned for and sought after the Lord, and God prospered him.  Then his situation started to turn.  Uzziah was able to defeat many of the cities of Israel’s enemy the Philistines.  God helped him to be successful and his fame spread abroad.  He developed an extremely strong and capable combat army of more than three hundred thousand men.  He became famous throughout the land, but King Uzziah went from being classified as a person who sought after and yearned for the Lord to becoming a famous man known for his great success.  As his fame became widespread, he began to trust in the strength of his own abilities.  This attitude is extremely dangerous. When pride and arrogance takes over, a haughty spirit follows close behind – which means this person won’t receive correction.  King Uzziah stormed by the brazen laver, ignored the brazen altar and went straight to the holy place. He ignored the table of shewbread and the golden candlestick, which means that he gave no recognition to the Word of God or to the Holy Spirit.  His life was no longer beaten and pressed out.  Pride entered in, and the workings of the flesh were fully manifested in him. Disregarding his degraded spiritual condition, he went inside the holy place straight to the golden altar of incense.  Look what started to play out in verses 17-20. You will not get any credit in heaven for entering into the presence of God illegally.  The true sign of a person who has ignored the prerequisites God established for a true intercessor is this: when correction comes, that person becomes angry and that’s a dangerous place to be with God.

An intercessor starts out seeking God and going forth in Him. That happens long before anyone recognizes the anointing on that person’s life.  Before anyone recognizes your talents or giftings, you begin on your face seeking after God. You yearn after God, panting after Him, but something happens when the fame of becoming an intercessor gets out, and people see the anointing of God on your life. They begin to seek you out.  When that happens, you must be careful not to step over into pride and lose credit with God.

As an intercessor, it is essential that you understand the power of the golden altar of incense.  It must not be disregarded or mishandled.  We must spend quality time at the golden altar to achieve the right mixture of prayers, intercession and worship before God.  We cannot rush into the holy place and expect instant anointing to be given to us on our terms! Each ingredient in the holy incense undergoes a specific process before it is ready to be added to the incense mixture in a specific amount.  For the anointing to be authentic, it must be God’s mixture.

The Golden Altar of Incense – Prayer – Part 13

This third and central piece of furniture in the holy place is the only element capable of ushering you into the divine presence of God. Now you are ready to experience the power of intercession.

Let’s study the definition of the word intercession.  The prefix inter- means, “between, among, mutually, reciprocally”.  The word cession is defined as “the act of ceding”. To cede means “to yield or formally surrender to another, to grant or transfer as by will [meaning the will of God].”  When you become an intercessor, you “stand between and among, you intermarry, you interweave on behalf of another person”. You actually stand between what a person needs and his/her answer from God.  While you are standing there, you act as the point of contact that causes Satan to yield or surrender to the will of God.  You act as one who grants or transfers according to God;s will.  When you become an intercessor, you stand in the gap for somebody else, and you don’t come out of that place until the enemy has fully surrendered that ground and given up that territory to you.

The word intercession is defined as, “an act or instance of interceding, an interposing or pleading on behalf of another person, a prayer to God on behalf of another”.  Another meaning for intercession is to impinge, which means, “to encroach, infringe, to impinge on another’s rights, to strike, to collide, to light; have an effect, ideas that impinge upon or affect the imagination”.  Your prayers infringe upon the enemy; they strike and begin to collide with the enemy.  This makes an eternal impression and a powerful effect against the workings of Satan.

Another root word, encroach, means “to advance beyond established or proper limits, making gradual inroads to trespass upon the property, domain or rights of another, especially gradually or stealthily.” This means that when I begin to intercede and pray on someone’s behalf, I advance beyond the established proper limits. The enemy thinks that it is proper (perfectly understandable and something he expects us to do) for believers to pray from the outer court.  To do so simply tells him that we accept what he is trying to do.  When we go beyond the outer court into the holy place and then behind the veil to our final position in the presence of the Lord, Satan’s works are no longer acceptable to us.

Another root word is importunity, which means “an importunate solicitation or demand”. To be importune means “to urge or press with excessive persistence, to trouble, to annoy, to make urgent or persistent solicitations”.  When you are a true intercessor, you pray without ceasing – at all times.

Now you are ready to pray in the third realm. As you stand at the golden altar of incense, you are just one step away from a threshing floor experience.  In Exodus 30:1-11, God gave Moses instructions concerning the altar of incense.  There was a significant difference between the construction of the golden altar of incense and the brazen altar.  The brazen altar was made from bronze and wood, but the golden altar was made from shittim wood and overlaid with gold. One of the most notable qualities about the golden altar was that that it was positioned in the center, so it sat in the heart of the holy place.  This correlates to intercession being the heart of God.  Whatever comes from the golden altar must come from you heart.  The condition of your heart can also hinder you from having an intimate relationship with God.

The purpose of the golden altar was threefold: prayer, intercession and worship.  The fire on the golden altar was never suppose to go out. After both altars were lit supernaturally, the priests kept the fires burning continually, taking coals off the brazen altar daily and using them to keep the fire kindled at the golden altar, representing that the fire in our worship, intercession and prayer – though it is rekindled by our ongoing sacrifice -  must come directly from God. It also represents who Jesus Christ is for us – and who we must become for others.

Like the table of shewbread, the golden altar was also made of shittim wood overlaid with gold.  Here again we see a blending of humanity with the deity of God.  The brazen altar, which was structured of shittim wood overlaid with bronze, had limitations because the covering wasn’t pure gold.  If you spiritually embrace only the brazen altar, you will be limited to that level of an experience with God, one based on the limitations of humanity.  But if you embrace the golden altar which was constructed of wood overlaid with gold (symbolizing the deity of God), your prayers, intercession and worship will be strengthened by the supernatural deity of God.

The golden altar was constructed to be three fee in height which corresponded to the height of the ark of the covenant.  In practice, this means that when you worship at the golden altar, that piece of furniture brings you to the level where you can commune with God according to His divine pattern.

The holy incense that burned continually upon the coals of the golden altar was made up of several ingredients.  This divine mixture of “pure and holy” ingredients symbolized our prayers, intercession and worship – ignited by our sacrifice – giving us entrance into the third realm, the divine presence and revelation of God, behind the veil from the mercy seat.

There were four ingredients used to create the holy incense (Exodus 30:34-35).

The first spice in the holy incense was stacte, a resin that would ooze spontaneously out of the storax tree.  By revelation, I believe this means that our prayers, worship, and intercession must not be programmed.  They must emerge spontaneously at the direction of the Spirit of God.   Stacte must be a part of your prayers, intercession and worship because God needs for you to be instantly obedient to His voice and promptings.

The second spice that was part of the holy incense was onycha which was extracted from the shellfish that lived in the depths of the Red Sea.  The revelation of this means you must have depth in your worship.  Your level of prayers, intercession, and worship unto God must come from a depth in the Spirit. You must be able to leave the surface of what has already been done to tap into a realm of new experiences that flow from the heartbeat of God. The onycha anointing also means that God will require you to think more deeply about prayers you pray than to constantly repeat Jesus’ model prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).  When you are in front of the golden altar of incense, the deep things of the Spirit of God will call forth the deep that is within you (Psalm 42:7).

The third spice was galbanum, a pungent resin that could only be acquired by breaking or splitting the branch of a tree.  The word pungent means, “affecting the organs of taste or smell with a sharp acrid sensation”.  In other words, it was a bitter ingredient, not all pleasant to the senses. As an intercessor, there will be times when you go through galbanum experiences.  Yet during difficult seasons and manifestations, you must come to a place where you can declare, “though I am having a bitter experience, I’m still going to stay in position of prayer, intercession and worship.” As you serve at the golden altar of incense, God will begin to train you in order to help you understand that everything in your life is not always going to run smoothly.  But in the midst of these galbanum experiences, you must learn how to keep offering up prayers, intercession, and worship unto God from a deep place in your spirit.

The fourth and final spice that was added to the holy incense was frankincense, a resin that was collected early in the morning from the Boswellia tree (Psalm 63:1-2).  When you seek the Lord from the ingredient of frankincense, you are seeking Him early – which doesn’t necessarily mean a time of day.  This precious resin is collected early in the morning because it readily flows out at that time.  You must seek God early in the morning.  In the holy place, it becomes your way of life to seek Him early.  When you do this, there will always be a ready flow of His Spirit.  You will have a consistent flow of His anointing.

After blending the four elements together, one final element was used to temper them all (Exodus 30:35), salt.  The Bible says we are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13).  You are the key element that brings it all together at the golden altar.  You have to make prayer, intercession and worship a personal priority.  You have to invest yourself into this divine process completely.

At this point you are just a heartbeat away from a threshing floor experience behind the veil.

The Golden Candlestick (The Holy Place) – Prayer – Part 13

The golden candlestick or menorah (Exodus 25:31-40) represents light and illumination, so it symbolizes divine understanding of the Word, the next level of insight and revelation where Word and Spirit are one.  At this point, you are becoming able to see and apply the Word whenever and wherever it is needed.

The menorah was made of solid gold.  There was no wood in this piece of furniture and there were no measurements given.  Since there was no wood, humanity wasn’t represented in the candlestick.  The function of the candlestick and what it symbolized has nothing to do with humanity.

In studying Jewish culture, it is said that when God instructed Moses to make the menorah, Moses lamented because the dimensions, details, and curves of the candlestick were impossible for him to envision.  So God showed him a menorah of fire and eventually instructed him to throw the stem into the fire from which the completed menorah emerged.  Moses didn’t have the tools to create the menorah according to God’s specification, so God formed it supernaturally.  This leaves us with the understanding that when you embrace the menorah, you have come to the place where God begins to perform everything He reveals to you in prayer.  You receive the illumination and God does the work.  This means there are no limitations as you embrace the element.  You have access to the mind of the Spirit and are able to discern the deep things of God.

The menorah had a stem (representing God) and six branches (representing the number of man, the church, which was born out of Him) (John 15:5).  The golden candlestick helps us to see that Jesus is the vine (stem) and we are the branches (six candles) coming out of Him (John 15:6). An intercessor who disconnects from the vine goes back to the outer court.  By illumination of the candlestick, the only thing you are going to ask for in intercession is the will of God because in this realm, His will is the only thing you desire.

The branches of the candlestick have the same decorations as the stem, a design that was beaten and shaped by fire.  This design represents the attributes that Jesus gave the church when we were birthed out from Him.

Jesus gave us His glory (Matthew 5:14). Part of being this light to the world is reflecting His image, symbolized by the fine gold that was beaten for the candlestick until it was smooth and reflective.  The design on the candlestick was comprised of almonds and flowers which again was beaten and burned into the menorah by fire.  The almond on Aaron’s rod was the first branch to bud and blossom, bring forth fruit to the nations of Israel (Num 17:8). This speaks of the everlasting resurrection.  As you embrace the work of the menorah, God will make sure to burn the image of the almond into your life. When the image of the almond is in your spirit, it doesn’t matter how many tests you endure or how many trials you go through, you have eternal “getting up power”.  You have life and can speak life into any situation.

The flower represents everlasting beauty.  If people cannot see the beauty of Christ when they look at you, if they cannot experience the sweet anointing of the Holy Spirit, if there’s nothing about your person that others desire, then the image of the flower isnt apparent in your life.

One final aspect of the golden candlestick is the fact that it was lit by the coals from the brazen altar.  The fire of God that lit the altar originally came from glory in the third realm, lighting the golden altar of incense and then the brazen altar.  By revelation this means that if there has never been any sacrifice in your life, and if you fail to willingly put yourself on the altar of sacrifice daily, then there will be no fire to light the golden candlestick in your life.  There will be no reflection of God’s character for others to see.

The fire on the brazen altar will go out unless you continue to sacrifice to put your flesh and your will on the altar of sacrifice.  If this sacrificial fire goes out, the fires of illumination on the golden candlestick will subsequently be extinguished.  Even worse, the coals of the golden altar of incense will smolder and die.

Sacrifice is a vital element. Saying yes to God in your mind and in your spirit continually adds wood to the brazen altar and makes it possible to receive illumination in the holy place, making it easy to worship Him at the altar of incense.  Personal sacrifice safeguards your understanding of what God desires to do in the lives of the people for whom you are praying.  Sacrifice lights the way to prayer.

The golden menorah was crafted of the finest solid gold.  The almond shape represented the resurrected power and the image of the flower represented everlasting beauty.  This means when we go into intercession and the enemy starts shooting fiery darts at you, your love does not change, your joy isn’t hindered, your peace keeps flowing like a river, and your long suffering/temperance kick in as you carry the burden of the Lord. When you reach the golden lamp stand you will have a solid gold encounter with God.

You may wonder what kept the menorah lit.  God instructed Aaron and his sons to keep the lamp stand filled with pure olive oil (Exodus 27:20-21).  The pure oil of crushed olives symbolizes the anointing of the Holy Spirit. When you look into the process they used to make this olive oil, it speaks strongly of the threshing process.  Basically, as the olive grows to maturity, the early fruit falls to the ground.  Then at harvest time, they beat the trees with long sticks to yield the rest of the crop, and then gather all the olives off the ground.  Then the oil was pressed out by crushing the olives in the hollow of a stone or by treading on them by foot.  When the olives were first pressed, two different lots of oil would come forth.  The first press was called extra virgin olive oil, meaning in its purest state.  This was the oil that was used to keep the golden candlestick burning.

When you go to the point of wanting to be used by God, we must receive the anointing of the pure olive oil that illuminates.  This goes beyond just having fire or intensity because the menorah will stay lit continually only if it is filled with the oil of the anointing.

One final aspect is related to the golden candlestick (Acts 2:1-4). As an intercessor, you need the oil of the spirit on a daily basis.  This means that it is an absolute necessity for you to be filled with the Holy Spirit as the disciples were on the Day of Pentecost. Without that infilling, there will be no supernatural utterances from heaven in your prayer closet. Since oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit and oil had to be refilled in the candlestick twice daily to keep the holy place illuminated, there is a strong emphasis on the vital role this experience hold in an intercessor’s life.

The Table of ShewBread (the Holy Place) – Prayer – Part 12

Now let’s look at the contents of the holy place.

When you enter the holy place, to the right you will find the table of shewbread. This table was constructed of shittim (Acacia) wood and overlaid with gold. Shittim wood was incorruptible.  It was the same wood they used to construct the ark of the covenant.  It would stand up against storms, heat or severe conditions. The fact that it was overlaid with gold means that it represents humanity (wood) covered by the deity of Jesus (gold).  The table of shewbread also represents the Word of God.  It was inlaid with a crown which symbolized the crown of kingship.  Twelve loaves of specially baked bread were on the table at all times. These loaves were baked on Friday and replaced every Sabbath – and they miraculously remained as hot and fresh on the Sabbath day as when they were first baked.  At the end of seven days, when the loaves were replaced, they were still fresh enough to be divided among the priests. The crown spoke of a king’s responsibility to provide for the safety and prosperity of the nation.  As an intercessor, the shewbread represents that you can receive a fresh word from God daily.  The people for whom you intercede will prosper as the King of the universe sends heavenly provision through you by way of prayer, making it vital for you to read His Word daily.

As an intercessor, you must have an unlimited resource of the Bread of Life from heaven present within you as you perform the service of the Lord at the table of shewbread.  (Matthew 26:26-28) The brazen laver gives you new life as it washes you through the power of the Word.  Then when you enter the holy place, the shewbread becomes the bread of maintenance as you begin to eat the Word of God (John 6:53-57). As an intercessor you must eat of Christ to become like Him and be prepared to battle in the heavenly realm.  You have to digest the Word regularly to maintain a transformed lifestyle.  THe shewbread is your strength.   It is the table of shewbread where the intercessor must embrace and partake of the Word of God because this is where the Word becomes your sword.  Not only do you gain strength at this table, but you also forge (sharpen) your supernatural weapon.  This is the place where the Word turns into power as the Lord gives you permission to use the Word on behalf of someone else.  Now that you are in the holy place, you have entered the realm of divine illumination – the place where you are justified and qualified to pray on behalf of others.

The Holy Place – Prayer – Part 11

As you prepare to enter the holy place, having been washed, dressed, anointed, and consecrated, you must remember that Jesus is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him”.  You must remember that you came into the outer court through the gate of His finished work.  He became the way for you to see your true reflection in the brazen laver and to sacrifice your will on the brazen altar.  Now at the door of the tabernacle, you are about to enter the realm of intercession.  You have come into a deeper walk with the Lord under the new anointing He has poured upon your life.

But as I said earlier, at this new level you must approach the Father by way of Jesus Christ.  The door has the same four colors that were in the gate: white, blue, purple and scarlet. But now, they have taken on a deeper meaning.  Let’s see how this applies in your daily walk.  According to 1 Corinthians 1:30 and Revelation 19:7-8, the white, fine-twined linen speaks of the Lord, who has become your righteousness.  His righteousness can now be clearly seen in you by others.  It is the foundation and assurance of victory for every burden you receive from God in Prayer.  Blue (turquoise), the color of heaven, speaks of Jesus as the second man, the Lord from Heaven.  He was revealed to you at the gate, and now He’s being manifested in you daily as the living Word.  When people see you standing at the door of the tabernacle, they will begin to see the kingdom and will of God being validated in the earth through you.

Purple is the color of kingship which means you can be clearly identified as an ambassador of the royal family of Jesus Christ.  When people see you in the natural, they see you beyond your title, gender or nationality, all the way to your biblical roots.  Principalities and powers in the Spirit realm will also begin to recognize your heritage and bow to your royal lineage.

The last color is scarlet which speaks of a sacrificial blood that Jesus shed for you to be saved and come into a deeper relationship with Him.  It also signifies that the battle has already been fought and won for you in the Spirit realm.  Now as you begin to make intercession, fully clothed in your priestly garments, you will be able to experience the blood of Jesus going before you and setting the captives free.

In the Holy place, the realm of total truth, God requires that the grace of His Son be made manifest in you. Why? This door, the first veil of the tabernacle was not merely an entrance to an enclosed space.  This door shut out common (natural) men.  Most importantly, it was the only passageway that led to the manifest presence of God on the threshing floor.

Are you ready to enter His marvelous light? Eternal light is your final destination.  Now you must walk knowing that you have come out of the outer court where the light is only temporary.  As an intercessor, the works of Christ must progressively be revealed in and through you.  You can never go back.  As you prepare to enter the holy place, know that you will begin to operate in the supernatural light as you learn to pick up the burden of the Lord.  Remember, God hasn’t called you into the marvelous light just for you to sit there and gaze or to be afraid on this new level and run back to the comfort zone of the outer court.  There is a divine purpose for you and grace to meet every need just beyond that door.

There are two reasons why priests entered the holy place.  The first was to perform the service of the Lord. In performing the temple service, they made sure to replace the shewbread regularly which represented the Word of God.  They kept the menorah filled with olive oil which represented the light of the Lord and the oil of the anointing.  They also kept a constant fire burning on the altar of incense representing the place of worship and total surrender, ensuring that the glory of the Lord was maintained in that whole area.

The second reason they entered was to lay prostrate before God in prayer.  Both purposes speak of a higher degree of separation and devotion to God.  The golden altar represents a place, time, and position in prayer where you are separated from everybody else. Once you have gone through all the stages of altar – you will be able to experience the oil of the anointing.  The Word of the Lord will become alive to you at the golden altar and true worship will begin to rise out of your spirit.

This is your place of separation.  This is also why prayer can be practiced anywhere.  This is how we know that we are on our way to the threshing floor because separation is the heart of the threshing process. To thresh means “to separate grain or seeds from straw by beating the stems and husks”.  The divine threshing process actually begins when you enter the gate to the outer court in prayer.  Then the process of personal repentance in the outer court separates you from a life of sin into a life of obedience to God.  Now that you have moved into the holy place, the separation continues as you begin to live within His purpose.  Each piece of the tabernacle furniture deepens your intercessory experience.

The furniture inside the holy place was positioned with the table of shewbread to the north, the golden candlestick to the south, and the golden altar of incense to the west of the outer elements.

The Tabernacle Coverings – Prayer – Part 10

As God brings you into the holy place, you must become aware of the tabernacle furniture and how each element relates to you in prayer.  This will be the next part of your learning process, but there is a very important thing you must understand – God will never call you to intercede on behalf of the saints and into battle against the hands of the enemy without protecting and covering  you.

The outer court is open to the winds, storms, and other weather conditions that may blow your way as you learn to submit your life to God.  However, once you walk into the holy place, you are covered.  As we study about each covering, you will see a definite connection to the priestly garments.  God makes a strong point about the garments and the coverings.

Let’s start by looking more closely at the tabernacle.  It has two sections, the holy place and the most holy place.  God originally established the tabernacle through Moses so there would be a place for His presence to rest among His people (Exodus 25:8).  Do you think the enemy could remain anywhere that God has chosen to rest? Absolutely not! The presence of God will cover you as you make intercession – as long as you remain properly clothed, so don’t fall back into the outer court living!

If you were to stand back just before entering into the holy place, and then look up and around, you would see that the holy place and the most holy place were parts of the tabernacle structure that required covering.  Exodus 26:1-14 lists the four layered tabernacle coverings.

The first tabernacle curtain was woven of white “fine twined linen” and three different colors of wool: turquoise, purple and scarlet. This layer of covering was classified as “the tabernacle” and was made from the same basic material that was used to weave the priestly ephod in Exodus 28:6.  The difference between the two can be seen in the fact that the ephod had a gold strand of thread woven in with each of the other four threads, and the tabernacle curtains did not.  The curtains had four, not five, threads that were woven together into an ornate pattern of cherubim, as well as figures of the lion, eagle, and ox, which could be seen on either side of the fabric.

Here in the design of the curtains we once again see the colors of the finished work of Christ, which laid the foundation for the tabernacle coverings.  The first fabric mentioned is the white linen which speaks of the garments of righteousness and salvation that have been given to the saints (Isaiah 61:1-3, 10).

The first covering of the tabernacle in Exodus 26:1 displays not only the four workings of Christ through its colors, but also the images of the cherubim, the lion, the eagle and the ox (Ezekial 1:4-10, Revelation 4:7).  The images of the lion, eagle, and bull correspond to one of the colors in the workings of Christ, and e4ach of these images has significance in prayer.  The is why they were intricately woven into the design of this first (foundational) covering.

Cherubim are very different from angels.  God commanded that cherubim be woven into the fabric because they are a manifestation of everything He is.  Angels work on behalf of God in the service of humanity. Cherubim live around the throne of God, exalting Him continually and reflecting His glory.  The cherubim embroidered on the tabernacle curtains represent the inwrought work of cherubim who cover you in intercessory prayer and manifest the intricate workings and operation of the Holy Spirit on behalf of the Father and the Son.  As you pray, the cherubim remind you of the life, ministry, death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

The image of the lion corresponds to purple in the workings of Christ.  It speaks of the righteousness that has been imputed to you as part of the royal priesthood.  The lion reminds you of your royal lineage and lets you know that you are now operating in authority that transformed you in the outer court.  Because of this you can come boldly to the throne of grace.

The eagle corresponds with blue.  It reminds you that God enables your spirit to touch Him in the heavenly realm.  Blue speaks of operating in the supernatural. When you see the eagle, you are assured that God will mount you up on His wings and show you the mysteries of heaven so that you can bring His kingdom to the earthly realm.

The image of the ox (bull) corresponds to red.  Bullocks were sacrificed for the sins of the high priest or the nation.  This image represents that you are to remain broken before the Lord so that you can receive and carry His intercessory burdens for the church.  A bull charges toward death, so as the Holy Spirit leads you to your final position in prayer at the threshing floor, your spirit will charge toward God knowing that no flesh can see His face and live.

When you walk into the holy place clothed in your priestly garments, a powerful divine match takes place in the heavenlies.  Identifying with the colors and images in the first tabernacle covering identifies you with all the workings of Jesus Christ.

The second layer of covering over the tabernacle was made from black goat’s hair (Exodus 26:7). This layer of the curtains, classified as the “tent” was placed on top of the first covering.  Goats were used to atone for the sins of individuals, from rulers to common people.  This means as a intercessor, you will receive the grace to carry the burden of the Lord for anyone, anywhere, at any time – without becoming offended or affected by the person’s sin. Since the black goat’s hair was laid directly on top of the first tabernacle curtain, it assures you that your sins have been covered; for this reason you should not allow the enemy to remind you constantly of what you used to be.

The third tabernacle covering (Exodus 26:14) is made from ram’s skin dyed red and it was one of the final two layers, which were referred to as “covers”.  The ram was used in guilt offerings.  In addition, two rams were part of the sacrifices presented to Aaron and his sons when they were inaugurated (Exodus 29:15-28).  After sacrificing the first ram as an elevation offering to God, the second sacrificial ram was called “the ram of perfection”.  Every aspect of the ram is powerful. The ram is a sacrifice, a substitute, provision for our table, and a symbol of consecration for divine service.  It confirms and completes the divine pattern.  This represents that you can have perfect victory in prayer as you depend upon the Lord and upon those things that He already established in heaven and in the earth.  Finally through this ram skin covering, God speaks to you from Isaiah 1:18. Remember this when you are entering into intercession.

The fourth and final tabernacle covering was made of badger’s skin (dolphin or porpoise in the Amplified – Exodus 26:14).  This layer was the final cover that provided overall protection for each of the other layers.  The badger skins were considered strong enough to protect every other layer of the tabernacle against heat, storms and dirt.  Nothing could penetrate that skin.  When the badger skin was laid over the tabernacle, it didn’t matter what the weather was like outside – the glory still remained on the inside.  This is a final confirmation that as you guard your garments and make intercession, you will be protected from any outside onslaught of the devil.  The badger’s skin was actually a transitional covering, used not only when the tabernacle was resting in one place, but also while it was being move to a new location.  While you are learning how to move in the things of God and discovering the realm of the supernatural, you must trust that the badger’s skin is there to protect you against the wiles of the enemy – because supernatural experiences can be difficult to comprehend.

There is one final aspect about the tabernacle coverings that really minister to me.  Specific measurements are given for the first two coverings, the linen embroidered curtain and the black goat’s skin.  However, when we read about the skins of the ram and the badger, there are no measurements.  There are no measurements because Christ’s sacrifice cannot be measured.  His divine substitution on your behalf cannot be measured.  His ability to consecrate you in His presence can not be measure.  And finally, His divine protection against the wiles of the enemy cannot be measured.

The price has already been paid for you.  The work has already been done. You have come through the gate, which made the way for you in the outer court.  You are fully clothed.  Now that you have walked through the door of the tabernacle, which is the truth – you are fully covered to become an effectual intercessor.

Now it is time to go deeper into the tabernacle.  It’s time to go one step closer to your final position in prayer on the threshing floor.  So stay tune for Part 11 – The Holy Place.

The Holy Anointing Oil – Prayer – Part 9

Now that you are completely dressed for battle, you understand the requirements of how you are to be dressed so that you can be guaranteed of consistent victories in your times of prayer.  You now understand that the Lord not only desires for you to know who He is, but He also wants you to understand every level and every position that you are in when you are entering into His presence.

God desires that you not be confused about your posture in prayer, your place in prayer, and your garments of prayer.  Knowing this, we will move on to one of the most vital elements in the tabernacle – the holy anointing oil.  Since God is a God of detail, He specifically had Moses institute men into the office of becoming Apothecaries who were required by the Lord to become the oil makers for the tabernacle.  He also required that olive oil was used to anoint the tabernacle elements and priests (Exodus 30:24)

The olive oil used to keep the menorah lit continually was made by crushing the olive branch in order to squeeze out the oil.  Other components and ingredients were added to this oil to create a holy anointing oil to anoint the tabernacle and its elements, as well as, to anoint Aaron and his sons.  Each ingredient of this fragrant oil represents a different characteristic of the release of God’s power.

This oil represents the illumination of the Lord from His tabernacle in you – His intercessor.  This oil is necessary wherever the Lord requires you to call on His divine presence – whether He sends you to a hospital to pray for a sick person, to pray for someone who has been incarcerated, to go to a mental institution to pray for someone in need, or if He leads you to have a one-on-one counseling session with an individual who is disturbed.  Whenever you feel the unction to pray and bring someone into the holy place, you will need the holy anointing oil.

As you read you will understand why the Lord requires that we use the anointing oil.  You will learn why these ingredients are important if you are going to be an effectual intercessor and experience quality times of prayer in the divine presence.  As we look back to Moses’ inauguration of Aaron and his sons, it is important to understand that after Aaron and his sons were washed and received their new priestly garments, Moses anointed them with the holy anointing oil.  Then after their seventh day of consecration, fire came down from heaven as they participated in their first priestly service.

As you submit yourself daily to being a living tabernacle of the Holy Spirit, every element in your tabernacle is anointed.  You have passed through the Beautiful Gate by accepting Christ as your personal Savior.  You consistently come to receive the Word by washing at the brazen laver.  You now have the brazen altar within you where you have submitted your will to the Lord.  Now…you are ready to move into the next step of the pattern.

As you prepare to enter into the holy place, you can take that fragrant oil and anoint yourself.  Now you can go in and complete the pattern of the Lord in prayer on behalf of somebody else – and that’s when according to scripture the fire will come down from heaven upon your sacrifice.

In Exodus 28:41, God tells Moses to clothe them, anoint them, ordain them and sanctify them and afterwards, “they would be able to serve Me as priests”.  Leviticus 8:1-30  tells us that after washing and dressing Aaron for service, Moses anointed the tabernacle and then poured oil over Aaron’s head.  After this, he clothed Aaron’s sons in their garments, sacrificed a bull and a ram, and sprinkled the blood and anointing oil upon them.

The oil used for anointing Aaron and his sons is very important.  There is a significance in every ingredient that went into the holy anointing oil (Exodus 30:22-30).  God instructed that the best spices were necessary because an impure mixture would hinder the anointing.

The first ingredient listed in the anointing oil was 500 shekels of liquid myrrh.  For women in Bible days, myrrh was a purifier and an embalming fluid.  God was saying, “Not only do I have to purify your anointing, but I also have to embalm what I put to death so that when you see it again in the realm of the Spirit it wont affect you”.  Myrrh represents our need to be purified for service to God.

The second ingredient was 250 shekels of sweet cinnamon.  This speaks of our attitude and how we treat others.  Have you ever known people who were filled with the Holy Spirit yet were as mean as snakes? They are missing an essential ingredient of the anointing.  Let me ask, “How do you handle yourself when people do not treat you right? Would the ingredient of sweet cinnamon still be apparent in your life?  Ministry is for mature believers, those who have been blood washed, purified, sanctified, and broken under the anointing! Otherwise, your ministry would never survive. Be honest with yourself, there are people in your surroundings right now whom you do not care to speak to. You have to realize that the only way you can be anointed with the sacred oil is to be lied about, talked about, and mistreated.  The very person to whom you are not speaking is your anointing! Sweet cinnamon is an essential part of the anointing…because it represents your attitude and response to others.

The third ingredient was 250 shekels of sweet calamus.  Calamus is also known as “reed grass”.  It thrives on the banks of rivers, growing consistently regardless of age.  It represents the maturity you must develop to be prepared to be an intercessor.  This is another ingredient that sweetens the anointing oil because when we come through the outer court and are about to enter the purpose of God in the holy place, the enemy tries to target us like never before.  So to help us guard our garments, God gives us a double portion anointing of sweetness and maturity – far beyond the normal measure that we see and experience in the natural realm.  Unless you have been anointed with the sweet calamus of spiritual maturity, God will be unable to plant you in the midst of a mess that needs your intercession.  If the sweet calamus of maturity is not a piece of your anointing, you will be unable to grow as you encounter each piece of furniture inside the holy place.  In fact, you won’t be able to get into the door!  If you don’t have sweet calamus as part of your intercessory anointing, you will become stagnant in prayer and won’t be able to go to deeper realms in the spirit.

The final ingredient in the holy anointing oil was 500 shekels of cassia which they added to the mixture in equal proportions to the amount of myrrh.  Cassia is likely to have come from a plant that’s related to cinnamon.  Cassia had to be ground into a powder before being blended into the liquid myrrh along with the other ingredients. This spice symbolized the completion of your anointing.  It shows that everything you have received from the river of the Holy Spirit in prayer has formed the foundation for you anointing.  Cassia represents the fact that people don’t see you anymore, your form, your style of ministry, your personality, and your emotions have all been crushed to be blended into the sweet smelling savor of the divine presence within you.  When you are anointed with cassia, you have learned to walk in the Spirit – to live, move and have your being in God.

When God anoints you with the holy anointing oil, it confirms that He has brought you through the necessary channels so the enemy cannot hinder the assignment God has ordained for you to fulfill in the holy place.  Finally you are preparing to enter the holy place and approach the altar of incense where true intercession is made.  Soon you will enter into the divine presence of God.  You are being anointed to approach the altar of incense – representing power, authority, and kingship – with the right spirit and the right ingredients.  You’ve walked through salvation, strength, and power into a deeper level of the anointing.  You are no longer in the place where you need salvation. You are now in the place where you are getting ready to fight on someone else’s behalf.  You are taking the power and authority in the Spirit realm where you will be in a position to rule and govern what happens in another person’s life – and all of this happen at the golden altar.

Remember, if you fail to guard your garments, you can give place to the devil.  When you have holes in your armor, you become vulnerable to the enemy’s devices. So stay properly dressed and the oil of the anointing will equip you to serve faithfully in the holy place of prayer.  (www.oilofthespirit.com)

Adopting A New Heavenly Perspective

Ask yourself what is it you want out of life.  Take a look at where you stand.  Is your life where you desire it to be?  Are you headed in a direction that you truly want to go or are you settling for things as they come?  Have you ever said to yourself, “Lord, why me?” or “How long Lord?”

I know exactly how you feel; as I have asked myself the same things so many times that I have lost count.  My life had in no way turned out how I thought it would. It wasn’t until God started speaking to me that I began to see that I was the solution to my circumstances.  So what was I doing so wrong?  I read my Word, I went to church, I even tried conducting myself more Christianly, yet, I saw nothing changing or happening.  Life for the most part was exactly as it always had been.

This inspired me to write to those out there who may be feeling like me, who are looking for answers, who are looking for direction, and who are looking for God.  Do you want more out of life than possessions and money?  Are you looking for a spiritual intimacy with our Lord and Savior?  Are you hungry to know and grow close to Him?  Are you searching for answers that are nowhere to be found? Have you prayed and prayed only to find that the prayers seemed to land on God’s deaf ears?  Have you ever wondered if God was even listening to your cries?

Everyday the enemy bombards our minds with thoughts and our lives with circumstances.  Where does it all end?  One day we are up, the next we are down.  One day life seems peaceful, the next it is in total chaos.  Do you ever feel like you are on an emotional roller coaster, never knowing what the next minute will bring?  I found that in times like these, we are the product of our thoughts.  What we think, usually is what we speak, feel, hear, act and more.   Don’t you feel sometimes that to think right thoughts is as difficult to do as counting the grains of sand on a beach?  Soon as you think you are under control, something else just seems to take you over the edge, making things only worse?

The Bible tells us in Colossians 3:1 that we are to seek or set our minds on the things above.  You might ask yourself, how do I do that when it seems the events of life come at you fast and furiously.  Who has time to think, when reacting is all you can do?  Have you ever thought that this is the very place the enemy wants you to be?  The enemy has studied you your entire life, knowing your every fear, your every insecurity, your every doubt, and more. Taking all he has learned about you, he uses your mind as his battlefield.  To overcome his fiery darts, we must train our minds to think differently.  How do we do that, with all that is happening?

The Bible tells us that we have been raised in Christ, so we must trust that when we rose as a different person that old self died.  This is the key to our walk with Christ because if we want to bring the kingdom and power of God into our lives, we have to have a heavenly perspective, that is, we have to come at the enemy and world from a superior position of authority.  To do that we must seek the things of God, set our minds on them, meditate upon our position, identity and nature in God.  The more we do this, the closer we become to Him, the greater His power and authority manifests in us.  God intends for us to do something because we have been raised.  Remember, we are not who we used to be.  In order to experience the victory Jesus died for, we have to start thinking, meditating and speaking in relationship to who we are.  We have to operate like a person of authority, seeing ourselves from the Biblical perspective as one seated with Christ at the right hand of God.  It is not enough for us to read God’s Word; we must be God’s Word.

Now most people look to the cross as the end, but really the cross is not the end, it is the beginning.  I thank God for the cross, but I also thank God for the burial for without the burial there would be no death to the old self.  Even better yet, I thank God for the resurrection, for without the resurrection there is not a new identity that can live on the inside of us.  We have been given the Holy Spirit and it is through His power that we have the ability to open every dimension of our lives to the supernatural embodiment of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The more we allow the Spirit to manifest in our lives, the more the influence of God will have on our thoughts and circumstances, causing us to become a recipient of whatever we are thinking on.

It is only through knowing God’s Word that we learn about the new man we have become.  The more we know, the more we grow.  If we are diligent in our studies, we will continue to rise above the place we are, reaping the benefits of that new person.  We must go to Christ in our thoughts and in our meditations. Then and only then can we receive from Christ all He has already given us in our new identity. Change the way you think and you change the way you live.  Adopt a new heavenly perspective and exercise the authority given to you by Christ to defeat the enemy and the influence he has on your circumstances.  You are what you think…. You become what you think….  You do what you think….  So what are you thinking?????

The Garments of Completion – Prayer – Part 8

God is a God of great details, helping us to understand that in the midst of all that’s happening in our lives today, we can still come into His divine presence. To do this, we will study the priestly wardrobe and discover why God saw fit to have the priests dress a certain way.  When we understand this, we will also understand that it is not enough for the believer simply to attend church.  As God’s people, we must begin to become the church, especially if we are intercessors.

1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us that we are temples of the Holy Spirit because we accepted Jesus as our personal Savior.  If there is no priesthood functioning within us, we become people who attend church but have no righteousness.  As a result, we have no power or authority in our Christian experience.  When the priesthood is present in you, then your temple becomes operational. 

Let’s review.  We have already come through the gate and accepted the works of Christ.  We have repented of our sins and been washed at the brazen laver by God’s Word.  We have presented our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto the Lord at the brazen altar.  We are clothed with the robe of righteousness – the first garment we receive when we are adopted into the royal priesthood.  We will now take a look more closely at the additional priestly garments.

After clothing Aaron with the tunic of righteousness, Moses girded him with the sash (Leviticus 8:7).  It’s interesting to read that there were two belts in the garments of the high priest.  The first was worn over the tunic and second was part of the ephod.  Just as we are commanded to don our spiritual armor, we must also don the garments of intercession understanding that every part must be worn.  Omitting any piece of the garments would only weaken our spiritual defenses during intercessory.  The belt of truth was worn atop of the tunic of righteousness.  Unlike the belt of the ephod, it is invisible to the naked eye as it serves to girds your loins by holding the tunic together underneath the robe of blue.  Walking in righteousness plays a critical role in our walk with God as it forces us to embrace the truth as we wear the belt of truth. The belt symbolizes our readiness, to go to the world. When you gird up the loins of your mind with the truth of God’s word, you are able to stand in difficult situations for long periods of time because you have the ability to become creative and productive for God, receiving what the Word tells your mind that you can have. 

The next piece of clothing that Moses placed on Aaron was the blue robe, representing your position and authority in God.  This robe is very important to us.  Its colors are extremely significant to God in prayer because they were one of the ways that God chose to bring knowledge of Himself and the heavenly realm to the human race.  Blue represents God’s covering authority, as well as His divinity and grace.  Why are all these things important?  As you go into prayer with a firm hold on your walk of salvation, Satan can’t penetrate your robe of authority and stop what God is doing in your life, praying through instead of praying about.  Not only does the priestly robe give you God’s authority in prayer, but also it covers you while you pray, protecting you against the the devil getting a foothold in your spirit. 

Let’s move on.  Exodus 28:29-32 tells us that the neckband of the priestly robe Moses gave to Aaron was reinforced.  An extra band was woven around the neck opening to keep it from fraying or tearing. The neckband was so strong that if someone had tried to tear this robe off the high priest, it would have broken his neck.  Symbolically, your robe of authority has been so designed that it can never be torn from you.  Because it symbolizes the office of authority and divinity, the robe becomes the strength of your relationship with God in prayer.  Righteousness is your pathway and the belt of truth is what enables you to stand, but when you get into the presence of the Lord, the enemy can never shake the authority of God.  He cannot tear it away from you!

After receiving the robe of blue, the next garment Aaron received was the ephod representing the mediator Jesus Christ and His power to become a servant (Lev 8:7). According to Exodus 28:8, the ephod consisted of gold (deity), blue/turquoise (divinity), purple (the royal One), scarlet (servant and humanity) and white fine-twined linen.  The ephod had an attached belt to provide a second level of girding for intercessory prayer; this belt was able to be seen by others.  Before it was woven with the other colors, the gold cord had to be beaten out symbolizing the trials and tests you have overcome in order to get to this level.  When the Spirit of the Lord finds us girded, He responds by girding Himself to us – so that we can relax at His table.  We have a part to play in the process of prayer.  Our first step in the process is to surrender to God, walking in prayer until the Spirit of the Lord comes and takes over.  God girds Himself to us and begins to serve us, answering our prayers and ministering to us about what we have brought to Him.   Christ’s ephod helps you to serve others, especially those who are weak and of a lesser status – by His grace- to help the immature come to maturity. On the shoulders of the ephod are two onyx stones inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel placed in the order of their birthright.

The breastplate was the next piece of clothing Aaron receives in Leviticus 8:8.  This garment is vital to becoming an intercessor as inside the breastplate was a slip of parchment containing the divine name of God, represented by the Urim and Thummim (exodus 28:28-30).  Urim means “light” and Thummim means “completeness”.  The breastplate also represents people that you carry to God in prayer symbolized by the twelve precious stones.  This breastplate was worn upon the chest of the high priest indicating that he carried the people’s burden close to his heart as he served in the tabernacle. 

Now we are at the final piece of the garment, the miter, the headpiece.  The miter was like a hat, with one distinguishing feature – the holy crown. This was actually a golden plate that was tied to the front of the Miter (Exodus 28:36-38).  Its inscription read, “HOLY TO THE LORD”.  This symbolized that the nation of Israel was completely devoted to God and His service.  It also reminded the priest never to take holiness for granted as they carried out their duties.  At all times they were to conduct their lives worthy of His name. The miter helps you to watch and pray.  God fastens it to your head after He has put everything else in place, so that you will never forget to pray and live in a manner worthy of your call to be an intercessor.

 

 

Foundational Garment – Prayer – Part 7

In the Book of Exodus, God gave instructions to Moses regarding the constructions of the tabernacle, as well as, for the garments that Aaron and his sons were wearing when serving as priests.  Just as there is a spiritual significance to every detail of the tabernacle’s construction, there is also a spiritual significance in the making of the priestly garments, demonstrating that God never contradicts Himself as each harmonized with the materials and colors that God instructed Moses to use in the holy place and in the East Gate. Like the tabernacle, these garments represented a spirit of excellence that God desires to manifest in the lives of every believer, especially those who had been called to prayer.  You will see that by the time we are preparing to go into the holy place, the garments, structure and furniture in the holy place must all work together in order to bring about the successful results in prayer.

It is our responsibility, however, to maintain our righteousness after we have been washed in the Word and have willingly offered ourselves to God as a living sacrifice.  Understand, the Spirit and the Word always works together; they complement and complete each other. 

The Bible tells us in Matthew 18:18-19, “Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven.  Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven”.

Simply said, whatever we do as a kingdom of priests must originate from heaven.  We can’t live according to the world’s standards and expect to hear from God in prayer, and we definitely shouldn’t expect our prayer requests to be answered when we aren’t in agreement with God!

Here is where you must ask yourself, “Are you in harmony with God?  Are you walking according to the patterns God set in His Word?”  If you answer “no”, don’t expect to experience the glory of God.  By breaking or ignoring the patterns of conduct God has outlined in His Word, you are rejecting the works of Christ and ignoring His sacrifice on the cross.  Just as a tailor custom makes our garments according to a pattern, God has tailor made our spiritual prayer according to His measures and pattern.  You must properly clothe yourself spiritually if you ever expect to come into the presence of the most holy God.

The tabernacle in the Old Testament was built to God’s specification.  Since we are God’s tabernacle, we also are built to His specifications.  Psalm 127:1 says, “Except the Lord builds a house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchmen wakes but in vain”.

Let’s start by reading God’s instructions to Moses with regards to the priesthood and the priestly garments.

Exodus 28:1-3 says, “From among the Israelites take your brother Aaron and his sons with him, that he may minister to Me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.  And you shall make for Aaron your brother sacred garments [appointed official dress set apart for special holy services] for honor and for beauty. Tell all who are expert, whom I have endowed with skill and good judgment, that they shall make Aaron’s garments to sanctify him for My priesthood.”

In telling Moses to “take Aaron and his sons with him“, God indicated that the chosen priests had to be sons of God before serving in the office of the priests.  Aaron symbolized the office of the high priests and his sons represent the lower priestly office.  Matthew 22:14 says, “Many were called…but few were chosen“. The path of obedience requires us to enter through the gate, wash at the laver and sacrifice at the altar according to God’s pattern of prayer.   This path prepares us to be clothed for victory in intercessory prayer.

John 5:23-24 tells us that “Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, Who has sent Him.  I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the person whose ears are open to My words [who listens to My message] and believes and trusts in and clings to and relies on Him Who sent Me has (possesses now) eternal life. And he does not come into judgment [does not incur sentence of judgment, will not come under condemnation], but he has already passed over out of death into life”

The priestly garments represent everything we do after we enter the holy place.

The foundational garment, the tunic of righteousness, represents the righteousness of God.  It is the reason every other piece of priestly clothing can fulfill its purpose.  Let’s look at how this garment was made:

Exodus 28:39-43 says, “And you shall weave the long and sleeved tunic of checkerwork of fine linen or silk and make a turban of fine linen or silk; and you shall make a girdle, the work of the embroiderer.  For Aaron’s sons you shall make long and sleeved tunics and belts or sashes and caps, for glory and honor and beauty.  And you shall put them on Aaron your brother and his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain and sanctify them [set them apart for God], that they may serve Me as priests.  You shall make for them [white] linen trunks to cover their naked flesh, reaching from the waist to the thighs.  And they shall be on Aaron and his sons when they go into the Tent of Meeting or when they come near to the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bring iniquity upon themselves and die; it shall be a statute forever to Aaron and to his descendants after him.”

All priests wore white tunics, but only the high priest wore additional garments over his tunic.  Notice that the tunic is what allowed the priests to minister in the holy place; it allowed them to come before the presence of the Lord and not die.  The tunic was the first piece of clothing Moses placed upon Aaron.  This garment matched the wall that surrounded the outer court, as well as, the white linen thread that was part of the first tabernacle covering.

I believe God is saying that you must put on this tunic as the foundation of everything you do in prayer.  For you to be prepared to take up the burden of the Lord, your nakedness must be covered, just as the tunic and trousers covered Aaron and his sons.  It is vital that you learn to reject your human senses and to embrace the righteousness of God.  Your spiritual underclothing – the white linen trunks and tunic – helps you do this by keeping your nakedness covered, that is, your human nature without God.  When you come into the presence of the Lord, these white garments remind you that God doesn’t need anything sensual from you.  It is the tunic of righteousness that will help you to walk the path of obedience after you have washed at the laver and sacrificed at the altar.  Maintaining the righteousness of God in your life will initially be your biggest struggle in prayer. As you are clothed in your white linen tunic and trunks, it creates a match in the Spirit realm and an entrance into the second and third dimensions of prayer.

 

 

More on Revelation 2:8-11

Sometimes people aren’t what they appear to be and it is sad to say that more often than not, we don’t realize it until it is too late.  Have you ever had a person turn on you?

During the times here, there were many who did not truly support Christianity.  They looked righteous, they acted righteous, they outwardly appear righteous, but underneath they were the purest form of evil.  What appeared holy now becomes your worst nightmare, maybe even your death, as one Christian found.

Don’t be afraid though because God promises us that we will be rewarded for our persecution even unto death.  He assures us we will have life everlasting, never experiencing the pain of the second death, that is, life of the wicked reaping the reward of living in hell eternally.  All people will have to reap the seeds they sow in life, so be careful how you walk it.

God sees all and knows all.  He sees the hearts of all and has taken account of which Master we serve.  We live in a world currenly ruled by Satan, but we can happily know that we are not a part of it.  We are just passing through performing a work while here.

God told the believers in Smyrna that they would endure hardships for a time.  He assured them that this would pass and develop their character in the process.  Nothing endured would go unrewarded.  The God of resurrected life would reward us with an eternal crown if we just perservered, even unto death.
How much do you love God?  Enough to endure for?  Enough to suffer for?  Enough to die for?

Stand on His word, all He promises will manifest itself now and in the times to come.  Until then, stand firm on those promises.

Smyrna of Revelation

Smyrna, a large ancient city on the Western Coast of Asia Minor, at the head of a gulf which reaches thirty miles inland, was originally peopled by Lelages (Asiatics).  Standing upon a good harbor at the head of one of the chief highways to the interior; it became a great trading center and a chief port for the export trade.  Its streets were wide and paved.  It was celebrated for its schools of science and medicine, and for its handsome buildings.  On the slope of Mount Pagus was a theater.  In 23 AD, a temple was built in honor of Tiberius and his mother, and the golden street connecting the temples of Zeus and Cybele is said to have been the best in any ancient city.

Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna was martyred.  It seems the Jews were more antagonistic than the Romans to the spread of Christianity.  Smyrna suffered frequently from earthquakes. Modern Smyrna is the largest city in Asia Minor (50% Greek, 25% Mahammedans).  Even under the Turkish government, the city is progressive and is the capital of the Aiden vilayete (the home of the governor).  Several railroads follow the courses of the ancient routes into the distant interior.  In its harbors, ships from all parts may be seen.  The ancient harbor of Paul’s time has been filled in and there the modern bazaars stand.

West of Mount Pagus is the Ephesus gate and the Black Gate as the Turks call it.  The prosperity of Smyrna is not only due to the harbor and port of entry to the interior, but partly to the perfect climate of spring and autumn.  The winters are cold and summers hot.

Figs, grapes, velonia, opium, sponges, cotton and licorice root are the chief articles of trade.

Smyrna was well known as a city of great trade and wealth.  Their spiritual riches are set off by their outward poverty.  The persecution they underwent, was noticed by God.  In all their afflictions, he is afflicted and will repay to those who troubled them.  He knows the wickedness and the falsehood of their enemies, that is, those who pretend to be the only peculiar covenant people of God. Those assemblies which are set up in opposition to the truths of the gospel and which promote and propagate evil, these are the synagogues of Satan.  Satan presides over them, he works in them, his interests are served by them, he recieves horrid homage and honor from them.

God knew the future trials of His people and forewarns them.  Know that it is the devil that stirs up his instruments, wicked men, to persecute the people of God.  God shows how their suffering will be alleviated and limited.  First, they should be universal.  Second, they were not to be perpetual, but for a set time.  It should be an everlasting tribulation.  Third, it shoold be to try them, that their faith and patience and courage might be improved and found to be honorable.

More on Revelation 2:1-7

This letter addressed to the Church of Ephesus, one of the largest and most impressive cities in the Ancient world.  Ephesus was a political, religious and commercial center in Asia Minor.  The city played a significant role in the spread of Christianity.  The city was located at the mouth of the Cayster River and situated between the Meander River to the south and the Hermus River to the north.  The city itself had access to the river valleys ensuring prominence in the commercial industry.  This guarantee of prominence made it an ideal location for a church as its influence would not only reach out to those who lived and did business there, but also it would reach out to the four corners of the world. Wherever a man could travel, the people would see to it that the Word spread.  They were the carriers of the vital lifesaving message, passed from one subject to the next with little to no effort.  Each people willing to accept from its own, the new gossip, the epidemic would now spread in magnanimous proportions.

There was one potential problem problem that John mentions and warns against – the source of the message had to remain pure, that is, to continue to be Christlike and full of love, in order for the message to have its fullest impact.  Words without action yielded no fruit, that is, they had no impact.  Often we, as people, begin to lose sight of our true purpose.  We become entangled in rituals, rules and our own piety.  When we do so, what becomes important to us is the outward appearance, while underneath, the source of life is slowly dwindling away.  We forget the basic source of our power lies in the love we have for God.  We begin looking inward at ourselves, enforcing rules, regulations, walking blindly without love.  Love is the foundation of all God stands for.  It’s the foundation of our faith, the source of our relationships, the glue that holds everything together.  Without it, we remove ourselves from the vine, that which feeds, fuels, and maintains the true meaning of spiritual life.

The Ephesians lost sight of this principle.  Through John, God reminded them that though their intentions were pure and noteworthy, their lifeline was in danger of being lost.  All their work would be in vain if the love they had for God wasnt rekindled and made the motivational center of all they were accomplishing.

What good would our good work, trouble and endurance be to us and those around us, if it wasnt for the the heart?  When we forget to love our Father in Heaven, who are we performing these works for but ourselves?  What is gained from it all?  For out of routine, ritual actions, pride, self centeredness and egotism take root.  Instead of looking at how our actions will further the kingdom, we look at how we look and benefit from them.

Christ is in an intimate manner present and talking with His churches.  He knows and observes their state; He takes pleasure in them.  Though Christ is in heaven, He walks in the midst of the churches on earth, observing what is amiss in them and what it is they want.

The church is commended for their diligence in duty.  Christ keeps an account of every day’s work His servants do for Him. The church commended for their patience in suffering.  Ministers must have and exercise great patience.  There must be waiting patience, that when they have done the will of God, they may recieve the promise.  Their zeal was commended.  True zeal proceeds with discretion, none should be cast off till they be tried.

The rebuke given to the church – those that have much good in them may have much amiss in them. Jesus takes notice of both.  THe sin that the church charged this church was their decay in holy love and zeal.  They had lost the fervent degree of it. Christ is grieved and displeased with His people when He sees them grow remiss and cold toward Him.

Those that have lost their first love must compare their present with the former state and consider how much better it was with them than now; how much peace, strength, purity and pleasure they have lost by leaving their first love. They must repent. They must be inwardly greived and ashamed for their sin.  They must blame and shame themselves for it and humbly confess it in the sight of God, and judge and condemn themselves for it. They must return and do their first works.  They must begin again, go back step by step, till they come to the place where they took the first false step.

Ephesus of Revelation

Ephesus was the capital of the proconsular Asia.  Colonized from Athens, Ephesus was distinguished for the temple of Diana, which produced its wealth and prominence and for its theaters.  Many Jews took up their residence in this city, for it was here that the seed of the gospel was sown immediately after the Pentacost.  Located near the mouth of the Cayster River, three miles from the western coast of Asia Minor and opposite the island of Samos.   With its artificial harbor was accessible tot he largest ships, standing at the entrance of the valley which reaches far into the interior of Asia Minor and connected by highways with the chief cities of the province, Ephesus was the most easily accessible city in Asia, both by land and by sea.  It’s location favored its religion, politics and commercial development.

The city stood upon the sloping sides and at the base of two hills – Prion and Corresus, commanding a beautiful view.  The climate in Ephesus was exceptionally fine and the soil of the valley was unusually fertile.  Ephesus was a mixture of oriental and Greek culture.  It’s temple possessed valuable lands, controlled by the fishcries.  The priests were the bankers of its enormous revenues.  It was also a sanctuary for the criminal, for none might be arrested for any crime when within a bowshot of its walls.  There sprang up about the temple, a village in which the thieves, murderers and other criminals made their homes.  Not only did the temple bring vast numbers of pilgrims, it employed hosts of people apart from priests.  Among them were large numbers of artisans who manufactured images of the goddess Diana or shrines to sell to visiting strangers.  Paul was the first to make progress against the worship of Diana.  As the fame of his teachings were carried by the pilgrims, with decreasing faith in Diana, came in fewer numbers, the sales of the shrines of the goddess fell off.  Diana of the Ephesians was no longer great.

Ephesus became a Christian city in 341AD.  The city itself soon lost its importance and decreased in population.  In 1308, the Turks took possession of the little that remained in the city and departed or murdered its inhabitants.  The Cayster River overflowing it banks gradually covered the spot where the temple stood.

Reaping What You Sow, Rising Above the Occasion – 2 Samuel 12:15-23

Everyday, we as people pursue all the benefit life has to offer.  The more we receive, the more we want, sometimes wanting to the point of forsaking all things to get them.  God had called David to the throne sixteen years before he ever took it. The path leading to the throne was not an easy one for him.  Adversity was David’s lot.  Yet no matter the course, no matter the obstacles, David was never too proud to return to God in reconciliation and as a result he remained blessed, but no amount of repenting prevented David from reaping the seed of his actions. 

Though David sinned before God when his eyes looked in a direction outside the will of His Creator, God had blessed him with the kingship, blessed him with the respect of all who followed, lacking in nothing.  Yet like us all, within David’s heart, a thorn of lust took root in his heart.  Sin began to grow with only a thought.  The Bible tells us, “for as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”  The very seed in his heart now bore the fruit of his tree in his actions, deeds, and words.  The country was at war and while David’s forces fought for the lives of the people, David sat home.  Have you heard the old saying, “an idle mind is the devil’s playgound?” 

While his men fought, David remained home.  Relaxing up on the rooftop, David glances across the way and what do you think happened? David’s eye catches sight of the most beautiful of women.  It was all over for him now?  The devil had planted the seed of lust.  Here, a decision or choice had to be made.  Unfortunately, David chooses to give life to the seed by dwelling on the desires of his heart.  Just as a thorn pierces the very thing it touches, so too does the fleshly desires of this man affect others.

In his weakness, sin took root and began to grow.  David, however, knowingly pursued the very thing he knew wasnt his, for this prize belonged to another man.  Knowing that did not deter him though.  The seed of the sin was already growing in his heart and had begun to show up in his actions.  Blinded by his fleshly desires, he plans an innocent man’s death to have this man’s wife.  How many of you know that what’s done in the dark will eventually come out in the light?  David’s plan may have suceeded, but at who’s expense?  Who would know the better?  Do you know nothing is free?  Lives were lost that day! What value is a man’s life?  Had David considered the cost to achieve his end goal?  Everyday, many people attempt to achieve a goal, never considering the cost, much less consider how their actions may affect others.  David’s actions may have brought about the end goal, but the lives of Uriah and his own men were the means to David’s end.

Do you know for every action there is a consequence for that action?  Here sin brought about death to innocent lives not to mention David’s spiritual separation from God.  If David only knew what was to come.  Upon hearing of Uriah’s death and mourning, David takes Bathsheba as his wife.  She, already pregnant, later bears a son to the king, an heir to his throne, but not every blessing brings about good results.

David’s union was not blessed by God. Lives were wrongly lost to bring about this union. Though God’s judgment wasnt immediate, judgment was inevitable and imminent.  Nothing would stop what was about to come to pass.  Through judgment, God teaches David that there are consequences to every action.  What was meant to be a time of joy and blessing, now becomes a time of sadness and loss.  Though the child dies just as Nathan prophesies, David accepts God’s judgment. 

How would you react to God telling you that the death of your child is your judgment? What would be running through your mind as you watch judgment unfold?  Would your attitude change toward God?  Would you reject Him?  Would you accept the consequences of your actions and go on, or would you harden your heart toward God?

David sinned. He experienced the pain of his actions.  Yet he remained true to God, reconciling himself to the One Who gave him life. David didn’t let the consequences of his life change his heart toward serving God.  Will you like David rise above the occasion?  Will you look inside yourself placing blame where blame is due or would you blame God for your actions?  David recognized his sin, took responsibility for his actions, accepted God judgment and lifted his head to continue serve him.

The Place of Sacrifice – The Brazen Altar – Prayer Part 6

Once you have washed in the brazen laver, it is time to be purified at the brazen altar.  This is the second stage of our outer court step in God’s pattern of prayer.  The brazen altar is where you let go of your will and embrace everything the Lord wants to do in your life.

Let’s review: You have entered prayer through the gate of Jesus Christ with thanksgiving and praise for what He has done.  You have drawn near to God by moving through every distraction in the outer court.  You have submitted to the “washing of the Word” at the brazen laver, and now you know exactly what “manner of person” you are.  The transformation has begun.  You have come through “the way”” (the gate), but you are still in the outer court realm of prayer.  You have reached the “truth” level for your personal life, but your prayer experience isn’t fully matured; you still have to be broken before the Lord.

What is an altar?  The word “altar” in the Hebrew means “a slaughter place”.  In the Greek, it’s called “a place of sacrifice”.  The brazen altar is the place where natural earthly things that hinder your walk with God are consumed by the fire of God.  It’s the place where you become a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1-3).  Everything within you that does not line up with God’s perfect will comes to an end at the brazen altar.  They are set on fire and consumed in the Spirit.

What does it mean to be set on fire and consumed in the Spirit?  This describes what it feels like after you become committed to a life of prayer, when the Lord allows you to be confronted with certain situations that will become the very trying of your faith. You must always remember that once you confess and declare that you believe the works of Christ and what He has done in your life, then every work of the Lord in your life shall be tried by fired (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).

For example, gold jewelry is forged by being placed in the fire.  The goldsmith’s purpose for doing this is to draw the impurities and black tar particles to the surface.  Then  he pulls the gold out of the fire, scrapes off the impurities and foreign particles, and puts it back into the fire.  He does this repeatedly until he’s gotten to the deepest interior of the lump of gold.  During this process, everything that would cause this piece of jewelry not to shine, not to be declared as costly pure gold, is burned out so that the value of the gold increases.  God is doing the same purifying work in our lives.  When we allow God to put us “in the fire” we are cooperating with everything He is doing in us.  We are releasing every impurity that would hinder us from becoming a most valuable resource to Him and to His work.  When these impurities are burned out of us, nothing in prayer can be hindered – because the forging process strengthens us to carry the weight in the Spirit.  This makes us valuable instruments in His hands, not shallow believers.

God gave Moses very specific instructions for the construction of the altar in Exodus 27:1-8.  The altar was to be “five cubits square and three cubits high”  Five is the number of grace and three represents the Godhead.  When you go to the brazen altar, you are submitting to (proving) the work of the Godhead – and you will be transformed through His Word.  Jesus has already perfected the fire, meaning He has already tempered the flame to facilitate each and every person that will enter.  No two people go through the same trial.  No one goes through the same fire.  God tempers the flame so that it only burns up what He cannot use.  It will not consume the part of you that He desires to use.  Though the fire gets rid of the bad elements, it allows “that which remains” and “that which is good” to be formed and shaped until it adheres completely to His image.

God gave specific measurements for the altar.  “Make horns for it on its four corner; they shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze.  You shall make pots to take away its ashes, and shovels, basins, forks and firepans; make all its utensils of bronze.  Also make for it a grate, a network of bronze; and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners.  And you shall put it under the ledge of the altar, so that the net will extend halfway down the altar. And make the poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood overlaid with bronze.  The poles shall be put through the rings on the two sides of the altar, with which to carry it.  You shall make [the altar] hollow with slabs or planks; as shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made.”

The brazen altar was made out of wood and then overlaid in bronze.  Wood represents humanity, and whenever humanity is involved, there are limitations.  Bronze symbolizes judgment, so the brazen altar is where God atoned for the limitations of man through the shedding of blood.  (Isaiah 53:5-7)  As you approach the altar of sacrifice, your ability to hold fast to your confession will be tested.  When you die to the flesh in prayer, the laver and altar enable you to rise up in the Spirit and walk into the holy place.  Sacrifice always comes before service.  Put yourself on the brazen altar and God will lead you to the second and third realms in prayer.  You won’t carry thoughts, ways and ideas to His throne – you will receive divine knowledge and revelation from Him as to how you should pray.  That is why you must go beyond outer court prayer.

The brazen altar was three cubits high, which symbolized the Godhead.  It also matched the height of the Ark of the Covenant, which rests behind the veil in the most holy place.  The base of the ark was two and a half cubits, but it extended to three cubits when they mounted the cherubim on top of the cover.   I believe this indicates that the glory of God will be equal to the sacrifice you make on the brazen altar.  If there’s no communion with God at the altar, you won’t have a match or connection in the most holy place.  To be effective in prayer, your sacrifice must measure up to the level of glory you want to experience with God in intercession.  Too many believers want great power with little or no sacrifice.  The danger comes when you think you are operating in the light of God, but in reality you are still functioning in natural light.  In the outer court, in natural light, daylight ends and night comes.  That means sometimes you are able to see your way, and sometimes you cant.  In the third realm, the light is supernatural.  It always shines because it comes from the glory of God.

The original flame that lit the brazen altar came directly from heaven! The Chumash states that the fire “went into the Holy of Holies and from there it went out to the Golden Altar and then to the Outer Altar, causing the incense and the sacrificial parts to go up in smoke.  Do you see the pattern?  In his first service for Israel, Aaron performed the sacrifices according to the pattern of prayer revealed to Moses. He followed Gods pattern and the Glory of God was revealed to all the people.  After this “day of obedience”, the priests were instructed that the “fire upon the altar shall be kept burning on it’ it shall not be allowed to go out (Lev 6:12). Each morning they were to burn wood on it and make a sacrifice.  From that day forward, wood, which represent humanity, kept the fire burning.  God requires us to lay ourselves on the brazen altar every day and say, “whatever doesnt please you, Lord, burn it up.  Consume my will, desires, emotions – anything that doesn’t line up with Your will”.  We are the wood that keeps God’s fire burning on the altar.

Even still, God doesn’t expect you to sacrifice without His help.  He provided for you by putting four horns on the corners of the brazen altar – which represent salvation, strength, and power! So when you lay on the altar of sacrifice, you receive salvation, strength, and power from Him to do His will.  Why?  Your flesh is being consumed in the fire of God, so it can’t hinder your prayer.  When you go into the holy place, you will be fully matured in prayer.

When the fire of purification is consuming your flesh (meaning when you are being challenged to walk in right standing with God in the midst of temptation), you must remember your salvation.  You must go back to the four works of Christ and learn to praise Him in the fire.   This also ties in to the four horns on the altar.  The number four represent the earth and its elements – the four winds and the four corners of the earth.  So Christ’s power to help you in prayer is unlimited! It extends to all four corners of the earth.

Jesus completed the pattern of prayer to help in time of need.  His sacrifice was great and can’t be ignored – we must embrace it.  We must be willing to go into the purifying fire of God with faith that Christ will help us.

The Place of Washing – The Brazen Laver – Prayer Part 5

I can’t tell you how many times I have read the Bible bypassing a lot of the scriptures that cover the genealogy and construction of the tabernacle.  To me, once read is enough as there wasn’t much I really saw that was important to me, yet years later, I find that the there was so much to learn about the tabernacle.  At first glance, you wouldn’t think so.  This study has so proven this way of thought wrong.  I can only pray that as we walk through each part, you will find that God hid away in these verses patterns for us to go by, even today.  Let’s continue where we left off.

If you remember from our last lesson, we have entered into the outer court, the place where the brazen laver and brazen altar.  Now prepare yourself for your journey through the outer court.  As you begin to walk through the outer court, you enter the brazen laver stage of God’s pattern of prayer. If you recall, you have passed through the gate that represents the works of Jesus Christ: His righteousness, divinity, kingship and sacrifice.  These four works of Christ allow you to enter His “courts” in prayer through expressing praise and thankfulness to God for what He has already done.  You have kept moving forward through the outer court, drawing ever nearer to God, becoming a reflection of Christ, Himself.  The brazen laver is the place of sanctification, where the Word of God cleanses and begins to prepare you to serve in your priestly function as an intercessor.  It is the first piece of furniture in the tabernacle and the first part of God’s nature that embraces your life.

Exodus 30:17-21 (NIV) says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it. Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die.  Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made to the Lord by fire, they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die.  This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generation to come.”

Exodus 38:8 (NIV) says, “They made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.”

In these times, the priest were required to wash their hands and feet, indicating that prayer is not suppose to stay on the personal level.  By washing, the priest demonstrated their total devotion to God’s service.  So what does this have to do with you?  By receiving Christ you were given access to the outer court.  It is important that you dont stop at entering through the gate.  God wants you to keep moving forward.  Whether you want to realize it, God must take us to another level in prayer, the level that prepares us to pray for others.   Since prayer is not only a personal relationship with God, but also a ministry, you must be taught that washing at the laver prepares you to minister to yourself, to someone else or to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:26 says, “to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

So what does the Old Testament Washing at the laver have to do with us today.  We, as priests, don’t worship in a tabernacle the way the Levite priests did in ancient times, yet washing has an important significance in God’s pattern of prayer.  Washing at the laver is symbolic of our washing in God’s Word, which helps you to strip off the “old self” which is your flesh.  Until we wash at the brazen laver, we live “according to the desires of the flesh and are controlled by its unholy effects”.  In the outer court, we are still setting our minds on the things which gratify the flesh.  This is why you must wash.  Our sanctification at the brazen laver is accomplished through the work of the Holy Spirit, our Life Giver.  God can’t use a fleshly intercessor.  There is no room for a flesh prayer.  You must wash at the laver to get cleansed and prepared for the next level of consecration.

Returning to the Bible, we find that the brazen laver was made of solid bronze, symbolizing God’s judgment – so it reminds us that He’s the final judge of whether we are spiritually clean.  It also reminds us that there’s a final judgment for those who reject the Word (John 3:18, Revelation 20:11-15). It is through the washing of the word that Jesus is able to begin transforming you into the image of God.  You can’t do this for yourself.  I believe that is why the laver had no recorded measurements and no wood in it’s construction.  The Word of God is absolutely unlimited in its ability to wash and cleanse you. Nothing is too deep within for the laver to reach, too far in your past to erase, or too distant in your future to control.  Its cleansing power is unlimited, so you can become exactly who God destined you to be in His kingdom.

In the Old Testament days, the mirrors that women used were made of bronze.  The brazen laver was constructed from the mirrors of the Israelite women.  I think it’s interesting and somewhat cute that women provided the mirrors, because the spirit of vanity is portrayed in women more than men.  It is almost as though God moved upon these women to surrender their vanity and overcome it.  To me, this represents a surrendering of what you think you look like to the Lord.  Do you really know what “manner of man” you are?

When the priests approached the brazen laver, he saw his reflection in the water and a second reflection in the basin.  There could be no mistake about how he looked.  When you go to the brazen laver in prayer, God shows you a true reflection of who you are.  By coming to Him, you are able to see your natural reflection and get a glimpse of what you are becoming as He imparts the Word into your life.  He’s beginning the process of “completing” your salvation (1Peter 2:1-5).  This is where you become conscious of doing the Word that God imparts to you from the basin – where you decide to start living for God and become a true reflection of Him, where you decide to rise up from your prayer and begin to live as you believe.    The Word helps you see yourself as you really are while it enables you to obey the revealed Word.

Many people hear the Word but fail to understand they need to do what it says.  They hang around in the outer court and then wander over to the brazen laver to wash – because everyone else is doing it, but when they can’t endure the washing, they run away from the laver to a place where they feel more comfortable.  No matter how far you run, you can’t escape the washing! If only you would wash at the laver, it would reveal the truth about who you really are by reflecting the Word into your heart.  Then you would understand that it isn’t that people are suppose to wash – we need to wash! We can’t go deeper in God until we are sanctified at the brazen laver.

Though you wash at the lever, you can not remain there.  You are still in the outer court level of praying, so the only person you will be able to pray for is yourself.  Remember that the outer court prayer focuses on self, your wrong doings, your limitations and failures, what you need to overcome and so on.  At this stage, it’s still about YOU.

As a matter of fact, the priests could not stay at the laver for very long each day before they started performing their priestly duties.  In other words, don’t resist God when He deals with areas of your life at the laver! Let the Word do a quick work in you.  You can’t afford to miss one day at the laver.

Intimacy and Spiritual Maturity

Now one can’t have spiritual maturity without intimacy and yet the more spiritual maturity you have, the more intimate you become with God. It’s like a cycle once you get it working in your life.  We cannot grow up and be what God wants us to be without intimacy and we cant please Him if we remain baby christians all of our life.  It’s time to grow up.  You know what that means?  It means looking at our attitudes, our level of love, what degree of selfishness we walk in, what kind of fruit we are bearing in our life.  We are blessed to be a blessing.  God blesses us so that we can be a blessing.  He never gives us things so that we can enjoy it ourselves only.  Whatever He puts in our life, He wants us to share it with other people so that our life can affect other people.  We are the light of the world, the salt of the earth. What if salt has lost is flavor? What if the bulb has burned out?

God will bring you into the “close fellowship”.  In the new covenant, He comes to be in you and with you, not just with you.  It’s the Holy Spirit that brings us the presence of God, the Father and Jesus, the Son.  It’s the Holy Spirit that convicts us of sin when we’re about to something stupid. It’s the Holy Spirit that convinces us to do it right.  It’s the Holy Spirit who follows us around in our life trying to woo us into a relationship with God before we are saved. It was the Holy Spirit who had to follow you into all those places you shouldn’t have been.  We dare not forget about the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to guid you into the path of truth.  “Everything the Father has is mine”, says Jesus.  That is what he meant when He said – “He will take what is Mine and transmit it to you.” Everything the Father has – power, wisdom, might, glory, peace, joy, righteousness, hope, love and more.  Everything that the Father has, Jesus said, “I paid the price, God gave it to Me and I got it to give it to you and I am sending the Holy Spirit to be with you always.  I will never leave you nor forsake you and He will spend your entire life trying to get to you what I died on the cross for you to have.” The Holy Spirit comes to reveal Christ to the unbeliever and in the believer.  The privilege of the believer, the distinguishing mark of a christian is to be able to fellowship with God. If you are a christian, you can not do that.  You can not have that close relationship with God because only He lives in believers.  He might be with somebody else to help them, trying to get them to listen, but He comes to live in us.  How much closer can you get than that?

The devil doesn’t care how much religion you have, it’s relationship he’s afraid of.  Jesus came against religion. The people He had the most problem with in His day was the religious crowd, the ones who followed all the rules and regulations and didn’t have anything going on inside.  Jesus said, “You tell everyone else what to do, but you wont lift a finger to do it yourself.”

When the mantle, the anointing comes, it turns us into another person.

Galatians 1: 15-16

God wants to reveal His Son within you. You are the home of God.  The Bible says in Ephesians, you are sealed in the Holy Ghost (persevered, kept for the day of final redemption).  It’s like your zipped locked in this anointing and there’s a sign on you that you cant see, but the devil sees it that says “Hands off, property of God“.  There are things in the Spirit, that cant be seen with our natural eye. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost.

Galatians 4:19

God just doesn’t want to give us revelation about Christ, but He wants to reproduce Christ in us.  Here’s where it starts.  Having a revelation about Christ doesn’t cost anything.  It’s a grace gift, but when you start having Christ reproduced in you, now you are going to have decrease so that He can increase.  What kind of work had to be done in Paul’s life?  How long did it take him? How painful was it?  What did it cost him for him to get to the point where he said, “It’s no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me and the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who died and gave Himself up?”  What had to go on in Paul’s life for him to say that?

For anyone that is going to be used by God, there is a price in some way, shape or form, and the greater you are going to be used by God, the greater the price.  To whom much is given, much is required.  As we do what Christ has call us to do, He ministers to us.  The Holy Spirit is a comforter, the same kind as Jesus.  He’s the “parakletos”. The Holy Spirit is Jesus’ other self.  Jesus could only be in one place at one time, but the Holy Spirit can speak to everyone of you every morning when we wake up all over the world in different places.  He can lead and guide everyone of us no matter where we’re at, doing all kinds of different things because He’s not confined to a body.

His job is to reveal truth. Truth delivers us from deception.  He reveals truth to us about our present condition compared to the will of God. He transmits to us everything that God is.  In the God Head, there’s no competition.  They are all for each other all the time.  We need to get rid of the competition in our lives.  It’s one of the things that needs to be pruned off.  We don’t have to compete with other people and try to be like other people.  Each of the three Trinity persons, delights in honoring the other.  We need to learn how to live to give, not get.  When we live God’s way, He takes care of us.  The way we get promoted in life, is to help somebody else.

Isaiah 54: 17 says, “No weapon formed against me shall prospered every tongue that rises up against me in judgment, I will how to be in the wrong.” A true servant of the Lord is those in whom the true ideal servant of the Lord is reproduced.  What’s a true servant of the Lord? Those in who Jesus is reproduced. (Not just a revelation, but a reproduction).  Therefore, I cant claim that kind of protection in my life, if I am not working with the Holy Spirit to have spiritual maturity in my life.  See, we like to claim all the promises, but we don’t like the cross.  What is the cross?  Forget yourself, lose sight of your own interest. The cross we carry is not poverty and disease, or wretched circumstances in our lives.  Jesus died to help us with those things, not to give them to us.  The cross that we carry is to work with the Holy Spirit daily to live an unselfish life.  The high call of every believer is to walk in love.

We need to judge everything by the standard of love, because it is love, Himself, who lives in us.  IF Christ is in me, then love is in me. Love needs to grow up and be an adult.  What happens is when yo sow seeds in helping other people, God helps you.  What God makes happen for somebody else, God will make happen for you.

Faith

Faith is the hot word for today.  1 Peter 1:7 talks about its value to us as believers.  Anything worth more than gold is worth a little time talking about.  The believers of God are truly blessed, more than they ever realize. God through His great mercy, looks upon man, sinful man, and devised a way to bring us into good standing permanently with Him.  Adam and Eve messed up any chances of our face-to-face intimacy we could have had and would have had with God.  God, in His infinite wisdom, removed them from the garden, not just for punishment, but out of love for us.  You see, if they would have eaten from the tree of life, they would have eternal life in sin with no chance of parole, that is, no chance of reconciliation with God, a permanent separation from Him.  God couldn’t have that.  He created us to love us.  He created us for fellowship, for His glory.

He loved us so much, He had a plan to save us.  He knew He could never tolerate sin.  He knew that nothing exist in/on the world that could cleanse us enough to open the door to eternal life with Him.  Nothing worldly was pure, perfect and unblemished enough to meet the standard.  God displayed His love by reaching into the heavenly realms and sending Himself in form of His Son Jesus to the impure, sinful world to save it. He knew that He would endure many trials, tests and tribulations before it was all over with, but to Him the outcome was worth the cost.  He, in His perfection, was all that existed perfect and pure enough to satisfy the requirement.  God sent Jesus in the flesh to open the doorway to our salvation, to our reconciliation with Him.  Now, that’s love.  When you can give up life in exchange for another.

Jesus was that life.  While He walked the earth, He was like us – human, fleshly.  He felt all we feel, experienced all we experience, endured all we endure. He was  “us” for a season.  By becoming “us”, Jesus, God in human form, could experience the life of mankind.  They say you never truly understand a man until you walk a mile in his shoes.  That is exactly what happened.  God understands us because He took the time and made the sacrifice to become one of us, experiencing all we did first hand.

His sacrifice became and is our salvation, and that is the reason to rejoice.  Only He was perfect enough to cover our sins.  Through, Him we were made clean and acceptable.  By Jesus’ death, the way was cleared.

Timing is Everything

The Book of Joshua opens up with God telling Joshua it’s time for him to assume his leadership position.  Why?  Moses is dead and the promise made to Moses in Genesis 12 is still unfulfilled.  The people are encamped east of the Jordan River awaiting God’s permission to leave.  They, the new generation, had witnessed the events of the wilderness journey.  They saw the old generation die off.  They saw, Moses, God’s anointed servant die before the promise had been fulfilled.  It’s natural at this point, to wonder what lay ahead, but what was taking so long? When would the promise be fulfilled.?

Joshua, son of Nun, had aleady been chosen by God to replace Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy, and as of yet had not assumed his appointed position.  Why was that?  Joshua, like all those chosen by God, had to be prepared.  How long? only God knew, but one thing for sure, timing was everything.  What most of us fail to recognize or are unwilling to accept is both us and God have a part in this process.  God is to determine the timing and we are to patiently prepare as we wait for His call.  We cant manipulate or hasten the hands of God, so stop trying.

This brings us to Joshua 1: 1-16.  Though this is a story of Joshua, this is an example of the response we give to God’s timing in our lives.  One response is “we patiently wait for God’s timing”.  Let’s think of this time as being similar to our wait when we go to the emergency room of a hospital.  Can you remember how long you waited and the thoughts that crossed your mind as the time wore on and on and on?  Did you ever feel they forgot you were there?  Hours and hours later, you’re no closer to being seen then you were when you first arrived.  Frustrating as it may seem, this is much like what Joshua felt, except his waiting room was God’s waiting room.  Joshua waited a long time for this day, just as some of us are.  God’s delays are not a denial.  He is just telling us, “wait a little while longer. It’s not time yet”.  Easier said than done.  So what are we to do while we wait?

There are two things we must do while we wait.  Each is a response to God’s timing and each is important in our spiritual growth.  Lets read Joshua 1: 7-9, but before we do, what do you think God said to Joshua?  Do you think he gave him the details to his real task? Do you think he explained each element of that event to come?  As you all know, the answers to these questions was never even addressed, so what was Joshua’s responsibility here?  (Read Joshua 1:7-9)  Joshua’s only responsibility was to know and be obedient to God’s Word.  By doing so, Joshua is promised success in all that is to come.  Another words, God is asking Joshua to keep a steady hand on His intimacy and relationship with Him.  He is telling Joshua -”Study My Word, know Me, know My Word and obey Me.  Pray and fellowship with Me. Hear Me in the Word.  Meditate on it.  By doing these things, you will have success in all you do.

It doesnt stop here though.  There’s more.  We not only have an individual responsibility to God, but we “have a corporate response also to God’s timing”.  Let’s read Joshua 1:10-18.  Here we will see what God had to say to the nations.  Let’s focus on verses 12-18.  In verse 12, Joshua is addressing the Reubanites, the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh.  Remember these were the tribes that inherited the land east of the Jordan River.  This land was already prepared to be inhabited by these tribes. Joshua, however, brings back to their remembrance that their task is not complete.  These tribes can never fully enjoy the inheritance until they came to the aid of their fellow brethren.  They must go before their brethren into the land west of the Jordan and fight to secure their inheritance.

Their response to Joshua was exemplary.  You see, these tribes had nothing to benefit from obeying Joshua’s request.  They already had their inheritance and would be accepting risks.  By going, they would leave their own families, livestock, land and homes open to attack.  Yet, they obediently accepted the call, trusting that God’s promises would be fulfilled to the letter.  Their actions are an example of corporate solidarity, that is, coming together as a group.

What we fail to realize is, when one is blessed individually, the group is blessed.  When one sins, the group lives in sin.  Each individual affects the grup as a whole in some way or another. Many members, one body.  So what are we doing as individuals to help our brothers and sisters? Are we looking to ourselves to a degree that we are too blinded to see the struggles of our brothers and sisters?  Are our brothers and sisters sitting in the waiting room of God while we are enjoying our own call? Are we blinded or too selfish to see and take action?  Corporate solidarity shows us that we dont leave these individuals isolated while they wait for God’s timing; we dont allow them to go into battle alone.  If they are too weak to fight, then we should do all we can to aid them in battle; even if it means we follow them into the waiting room of God.

What will your response be to God’s timing?  Will you be like Joshua ready when the call comes? Are you patiently preparing as you wait?  Are you protecting your relationship with God, taking and using this time of wait to study and know God and HIs Word?  Are you an individual or a member of a body?  Will you trust God to obediently leave your own agenda and follow your brethren into the waiting room of God or into the battlefield of life?