JESUS IS OUR HIGH PRIEST, AND YOU’RE A PRIEST TOO.

LOOKING PAST CALVARY

Revelation 5:10   And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” [NKJV]

Heb 4:14   Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. [NKJV]

I want you to see something. Picture the ascension. Do you understand where Jesus is and what He is doing on your behalf? He is passed through the heavens and sits at the right hand of the Father. When the accuser tries to lay condemnation on you, Jesus holds up His nail pierced hand and the Father sees your sin paid for. Your sin was nailed to the cross. Therefore, this verse ends with the admonition to, “hold fast our confession.” In other words, live what you say you believe. We need to understand, and be mindful of Jesus functioning in HIS priestly role and interceding for us before the Father. He is our role model.

Heb, 4:14   So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.

15   This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

16   So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. 

Romans 8:33   Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

34   Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

1 Thessalonians 5:17   pray without ceasing,

2 Timothy 1:3   I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers.

The Altar if Incense pictures this wonderfully. There’s a song we do with the chorus, 

DAY AND NIGHT,

NIGHT AND DAY,

LET INCENSE RISE

 

Exodus 30:1   “Then make another altar of acacia wood for burning incense..

7   “Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar.

8   And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the Lord’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation.

Rev. 8:3   Then another Angel, carrying a gold censer, came and stood at the Altar. He was given a great quantity of incense so that he could offer up the prayers of all the holy people of God on the Golden Altar before the Throne.

4   Smoke billowed up from the incense-laced prayers of the holy ones, rose before God from the hand of the Angel. (MSG)

Hebrews 5:1   Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins.

2   And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses.

This says allot about the responsibilities and qualifications of priests. We are called to be a kingdom of priests so let’s walk worthy of the calling. Priests are taken from people and appointed for people. Now, in Christ, priesthood is not a leadership position; it is a responsibility of every believer with Jesus being our Great High Priest. Jesus took care of the offerings for sins, now He has left us with the obligation to forgive and to exercise the compassion specified in Gal. 6: 2 below.

Gal. 6:1   Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

If we are, “appointed for men in things pertaining to God,” every believer has intercessory responsibility. Pray for people, hold them before the Lord, We are accountable to each other. If we see someone stumbling or fallen; love dictates that we help them get back up, always beginning with prayer and hearing from the Lord how best to do that.

We are not left alone to stumble, but placed in the Body of Christ. It has often been said that there are no “lone rangers” in the Body and this is why. Is there enough love in our relationships for us to be at this level of help and accountability to one another? If so, intercession becomes more personal

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

The old covenant priesthood had the responsibility of performing sacrifices for their own sins and the sins of the people until Jesus came and finished the work. These guys had to slaughter and butcher, boil and burn many animals every day. Thank God our priestly responsibilities don’t involve all the blood gore and guts every day, but sometimes the Lord puts an intense gut level burden for something or someone in us. We get a taste of praying for others with such intensity that the physical body sometimes feels some pain and their spirit groans, aching for the deliverance from sin, sickness, brokenness of people. Sometimes we feel the pressure of someone else’s adversity. Priestly intercession often includes identification with the sins of others. Oh how much we need the prayers of the intercessors and to be willing to be in that role ourselves. Jesus exemplified intercession at this level, especially in the garden just before they came to take Him.

This may sound negative but look at the last phrase. The scriptures say allot concerning the fear of the Lord. When we understand that we find so much hope, realizing God hears and answers prayer. Going through the troubles of life should cause us to develop compassion for others and enable us to pray for them more effectively. Ask any of the hundreds of thousands of people who couldn’t find a good, long-term job. I was there several times. Companies downsizing and reorganizing, or just going out of business left us suffering the feelings of failure and rejection. Oh the wonder of His grace, the beauty of His face. We look at His face instead of the face of adversity and find that grace to help in time of need. People joining with us in prayer over things we can’t control lessens the load.

Jesus’ whole earthly existence was so focused, so directed to this purpose. Everything He did, everything He said, everything He experienced was for our salvation and set the example of how we ought to live and love.

Heb 12:2   looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

”You died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3); there is no sacrifice, only loving obedience to our loving savior. All we are, all we have, we have on loan from Him. Jesus looked past the Cross and saw you. Wow, this realization always overwhelms me, what did Jesus see when He looked past the Cross? Was it the grandeur of Heaven? Was it the enemy of our souls cast into the bottomless pit? These things are real but were not what He went to Calvary for. I believe He was looking at us, and seeing us as born again, filled with His Spirit and in right relationship with the Father, walking in the Spirit and experiencing the Joy of the Lord. He saw us tapping into His grace to help in time of need. (Heb 4:16). He saw us as His beautiful bride in that pure white robe, free from the bandages of sin. Knowing this should drive us to our knees in thanksgiving and urgently praying for those without Christ or living with less than what God has for them.

There are so many people whose hearts are hard, who just don’t want to hear it. There are lukewarm pew sitters, believers not committed to local churches, fence sitters. My heart cries out for the fire proofed kids and grand kids of those who were on fire. There are many scriptures that address these “dull of hearing” people.

Isa 6:10   "Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed."

Acts 28:27   For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them."

In all these, we see God’s heart is that the broken people would hear and be

healed, be made whole. Every believer not in this category can probably think of some broken, “dull of hearing” people. I know Jesus gives us the intercessory burden for. Don’t try to manufacture intercessory burdens, just make yourself available. Join us here Sunday mornings before service praying for those walking in the door to wake up from their spiritual slumber.

As a body we all need each other and grow together in Christ, we all are responsible to bare each other’s burdens and to reach the world for Christ.

One final thought. Considering the verse:

Revelation 5:10   And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Can you wear this hat?

Dwelling With GOD, Part 3 - Tabernacle Furniture

The Brazen Altar – The place of sacrifice.

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2015/11/

the-brazen-altar.html

The very 1^st thing you would encounter as you walk through the main entrance to the Tabernacle is the this very large, very special and at the risk of sounding sacrilegious, Barbecue Pit.

Exod 27:1   "You shall make an altar of acacia wood, five cubits long [7.5'] and five cubits wide [4.5']- the altar shall be square-- and its height shall be three cubits.

Verses 2-7 lists many of the details of it, but again the point is...

8   "You shall make it hollow with boards; as it was shown you on the mountain, so shall they make it. (NKJV)

This Brazen Altar was very different than the piles of rock altars mentioned in other parts of Scripture. It is very special and for a very special purpose. We cannot come before God without sacrifice, we cannot bring sin into His presence. Access to the Holy Place, and then the Holy of Holies; was blocked by the Brazen Altar. Something happens at this altar:

Exod 29:36   "And you shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement. You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to sanctify it.

37   "Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and sanctify it. And the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar must be holy.

Heb 9:22   … and without shedding of blood 

there is no remission

This altar was that place of sacrifice, a place to butcher and cook the various sacrifices and offerings. People brought their animals here to offer to God for sin and peace offerings. The priests had the butchering and cooking jobs. The disgusting aspects of this place remind us of how gross sin is before God. The great smell of meat cooking stirs the senses, stimulating a hunger for fellowship with God made possible by the sacrifice. 

The Brazen Altar was made of bronze, not gold like all the other items we have mentioned so far. Gold is not a good material to cook on. Bronze is an alloy made from copper and tin. Neither of these materials are very strong by themselves, but when combined, you have a very durable material that can handle the heat. This speaks of our lives with or without Christ.

The scriptures repeatedly bring up the concept of sacrifice. The sacrifices at this altar are described in detail in Ex.29:36-42. What is wonderful is the next verse after this description:

Exod 29:42   "This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet you to speak with you.

43   "And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory. (NKJV)

We need to recognize that our churches, whether mega, big or small, are sanctified. We need to cherish that this setting apart is evidenced by His presence. 

Definition of Sanctity from https://www.dictionary.com/:

1.   Sanctify your hearts.

2.   to purify or free from sin:

3.   to make holy; set apart as sacred; consecrate.

4.   to impart religious sanction to; render legitimate or binding:

5.   to make productive of or conducive to spiritual blessing.

There is a price to experience this fellowship. Jesus paid it for us at the Cross.

Matt 4:17    From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (NKJ)

We have to repent in order to experience the Kingdom of God. He gives us the grace and power to do so but we have to do it. This is why the horns of this altar are so important:

Ps 118:27    God is the LORD, and He has given us light; bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. (NKJ)

We often struggle with giving something to God then take it back. It takes an act  of our will, empowered by the Holy Ghost within, to tie it to the horns of the altar and leave it there, let it be consumed by the fire of God.

When you give something to God, DON'T TAKE BACK

Exodus 30:1   “Then make another altar of acacia wood for burning incense..

7   “Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar.

8   And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the Lord’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation.

9   Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or liquid offerings.

When the priest went to tend the Golden Candlestick, he also was to burn incense at the Golden Altar. This Altar was in the Holy Place, with the Candlestick just outside the Veil of the Holy of Holies. This was a special place that only the High Priest went and this was an important part of his daily work. What a job, to enjoy God’s Presence in this beautiful Holy Place!!

Psalm 27:4   The one thing I ask of the Lord, the thing I seek most is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.

5   For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

6 Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.

David makes this a place of Praise, exploding the concept of this wonderful relationship with God beyond those special people in the fancy clothes. We can all experience this relationship with God because in the New Covenant we are all Priests and Kings before God. But there is another awesome analogy to see concerning the Altar of Incense.

The sweet smelling smoke of the incense at this altar

carries our prayers to the Throne of God in Heaven

Rev. 8:3   Then another Angel, carrying a gold censer, came and stood at the Altar. He was given a great quantity of incense so that he could offer up the prayers of all the holy people of God on the Golden Altar before the Throne.

4   Smoke billowed up from the incense-laced prayers of the holy ones, rose before God from the hand of the Angel. (MSG)

The sweet smelling smoke of the incense at this altar carries our prayers to the Throne of God in Heaven. This altar, consecrated by the sprinkling of blood, covered in gold, is a place of prayer, a place to share your heart with God.

Ps 91:1   He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2   I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust." (NKJ)

We see in these verses the 1st aspect of prayer in this place, to find God as our refuge from the cares of this life. Oh, what a burden lifter He is. How awesome to be

1 Pet 5:7   casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (NKJ)

Prayer is so powerful and the vehicle by which we see victory in every spiritual battle. We know from the verse just quoted that He hears our prayers.

Eph 6:12   For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (NKJ)

This victory is confirmed in the following verses, and many other places.

1 John 5:14   And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.

15   And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. (NLT)

The Lampstand

Exod 25:31 31   “Make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. Make the entire lampstand and its decorations of one piece—the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and petals.

Verses 32-38 list many details of it but the point is...

39   You will need 75 pounds of pure gold for the lampstand and its accessories.

40   “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.

The Lampstand has become a significant symbol throughout Jewish history. Celebrating the miracle of Chanukah keeps it a constant ornament in every Jewish home. I especially appreciate the way Jesus explodes the concept into the lives of believers:

Matt 5:14   "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

15     "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

16     "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (NKJV)

Jesus so often takes a spiritual truth and makes it such a wonderful, practical reality for us to walk in. What is Jesus saying for us to be and to do today? Understanding that we are in the end times should provoke us all the more to get a hold of present day application of the Word, present day apprehension of His power to live the Word and be the Light of the World. We must always walk in Holiness and stay RAPTURE READY.

What is this light that we reflect? The lampstand was made of pure gold, a substance used throughout the Word as a symbol of God’s purity, His Holiness and His Presence. Matt. 5:16, quoted above, defines the test of ones’ spirituality. Is your life a reflection of His Glory?

Impurity in your life is like thick steam clouding it up. Great harm has been done to the cause of Christ by those to whom great light was shined on but they didn’t reflect it clearly.

1 John 2:15    Do not love the world [of sin that opposes God and His precepts], nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16    For all that is in the world—the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father, but are from the world. (AMP)

To look at what we should reflect, meditate on 1Cor.13. And let’s keep it simple:

Romans 14:16   Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;

17   for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

19   Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

There were many great revivals in the 19th and 20th century. Typical in all of them were the intercessors, people who spent many hours in prayer and fasting for the results of evangelistic meetings or for changes in places. This part of the country needs revival and it will take intercessors to bring it about. It also takes those who reflect the light of the Lamp stand

Matt. 5: 16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your  good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

I John 3:8b…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. (NKJ)