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In this blog, I share what the Lord shares with me. I reference scripture a lot in support of what is being said. I realize that what is in each entry is NOT a complete 'word' (discussion) on what is being said, but is rather enough information to stimulate our spirits to dig deeper (remember the Bereans Acts 17:10-11) thereby gaining a fuller understanding for ourselves.

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Sunday, July 28, 2024

 

7-28-27               Royal Priesthood - Holy of Holies                        

This is actually being published on Sunday, the 28th of July.  Events set me a day behind and Father said to wait until the 28th to release it.  “7” is ‘resurrection’ or Spiritual’ completeness and ‘28’ is ‘eternal life’.  (got the mental juices flowing yet?)

Peter reminds us that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. Okay, so what does all this have to do with the Holy of Holies?  Read on!

1 Peter 2:9-12 KJV

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;

(we are a unique people for the Lord for He has chosen us to be His banner carrier for salvation.)

10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

(though we are in the world, by God’s grace, we are no longer of the world {John 17:15})

11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

(we don’t fight against flesh and blood but against the powers of evil {Eph. 6:11-12})

12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

(we don’t do and say things to please man but to please God and the world doesn’t understand it)

Exod. 28:1-43 (not going into depth here but summarizing these passages so you might get a reasonable understanding of the sanctification of the priesthood)

This passage talks about the clothes which Aaron (the high priest) and his sons would wear in serving God.

Aaron and his sons were appointed to the priesthood by God to serve Him and be the go-between between our Lord and man.  Father prescribed clothes that they should wear and procedures they must follow when they approach God in the Holy of Holies.  Let’s get an understanding:

Chapter 28

God appoints Aaron and his sons to the priesthood and sets forth the clothing they should wear serving in the priest’s office.  God has given certain of the Israelites the ability to make a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a coat which is weaved into squares, a mitre (hat) and a girdle.  These garments should be made with colors of gold, blue, purple and scarlet and made of fine linen and be expertly crafted.

The ephod was to be carefully woven of gold, blue, purple and scarlet.  It shall have two shoulder pieces (onyx stones) one each for the right and left shoulders.  Each stone shall have six names the tribes of Israel, artfully etched into them in order of their birth.  Each name shall be set in a setting made of gold so that Aaron should, as a memorial, always bear the names of the children of Israel before the Lord as he serves in the priest’s office. 

The ‘curious’ girdle shall also be made of gold, blue, purple and scarlet and be attached to the ephod.

Golden chains shall connect the ephod with the breastplate of judgement and the breastplate shall be made a perfect square and shall have twelve stones mounted in settings upon it.  The stones are sardius, topaz, carbuncle in the 1st row, an emerald, sapphire and diamond are in the 2nd row, ligure agate and amethyst in the 3rd row and beryl onyx and jasper in the 4thSo Aaron carries the burden of the people upon his shoulders and close to his heart.

The Urim (bring light) and the Thummim (emblem of complete truth) are also placed on the breastplate (so he priest might judge the people rightly).

Are we getting the picture here?  The burden of Israel on his shoulders and close to his heart!

So we see that the curious girdle, the ephod and the breastplate are all connected.

The robe shall be expertly woven of blue material with a hole in the center (up and down side to side) and stitched so the garment does not tear.  The bottom of the garment shall have golden bells alternating between woven pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet thus Aaron would beard entering and leaving the Holy of Holies and not die.

The mitre (or hat), again embroidered of fine linen and attached to its forehead shall be a plate of gold with ‘Holiness to the Lord’ etched into it.  This is so that all things offered by Aaron unto the Lord would be accepted by the Lord.

And beneath all this Aaron shall wear breeches (shorts) underneath from his waist to the thighs, to cover his nakedness.  Aaron’s sons also shall wear the robe and breaches so that none die.  And for Israel this is a continuing statute. (they do it forever) 

Now remember that the Egyptians gave the Israelites gold, silver, gems and clothing, etc. (Exod. 12:35-36).

Exod. 29:1-46 

Again, here I paraphrase how the priesthood how must be sanctified to serve before the Lord.

They should take a young bull and two rams (without blemish), and out of wheat flour make unleavened bread cakes and cakes tempered with oil and wafers anointed with oil.  These shall be brought to the door of the tabernacle in a basket. 

Aaron and his sons will come before the door of the tabernacle and wash with water.  Then they will take the clothing which was made for them – the coat, the ephod, the curious girdle of the ephod and the holy miter.  The anointing oil shall be poured over Aaron’s head.  Then Aaron’s will be brought forth and put on his garments.  This is something Aaron and his sons will do to sanctify themselves before the Lord.

Sacrifices were also in order for preparation.  Aaron and his sons would lay hands on bullock then slay it at the door of the tabernacle.  They would put the blood of the bullock on the four horns of the altar with their finger then pour the rest beside the bottom of the altar.  Most of the inward parts would be burnt upon the altar but its flesh, skin and dung shall be burned outside the camp as a sin offering.

Aaron and his sons should lay their hands on the head of one of the rams and slay it and sprinkle the blood around the altar.  They should cut the ram into pieces. They shall wash the inner parts of the ram, cut it into pieces then put the whole ram on the altar and burn it with fire.  It is a sweet smelling savor made by fire unto the Lord.  (our sacrifices are sweet smelling to the Lord – even though we are not physically slain and burnt on the altar)

They shall lay their hands upon the second ram and kill it.  Then the blood should be put on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and his sons, the thumb of their right hands and the big toe on the right foot.  Then they should sprinkle the blood on the altar and all around it.  Then the blood (which is upon the altar) with anointing oil shall be sprinkled upon Aaron and his sons to hallow (purify) them.

The rump of the ram along with the kidneys, the fat and the right shoulder as a consecration (dedication) to the Lord.  Then, a loaf of bread, oiled cake and a wafer shall be given to Aaron and his sons as a wave offering (lifted up and moved back and forth) before the Lord, they shall put it upon the altar as a burnt offering, a sweet smelling savor before the Lord.  An offering unto the Lord made by fire.

The breast and shoulder of the ram are dedicated to Aaron and as a wave offering it shall be sanctified unto the Lorda nd the shoulder is a heave offering (lifted up) before the Lord and these shall be for Aaron and his son’s.

And this is the consecration of the garments.

The priest shall wear them for seven days when he comes into the tabernacle to minister in the Holy Place.  The ram of consecration shall be for Aaron and his sons to eat and he bread in the basket.  They shall eat the things used for atonement to sanctify themselves.  These are holy and are for only Aaron and his sons.  If anything which they have remains in the morning, it shall be burned with fire.  They shall do this each day of that week.  Whatever touches the altar shall be holy. 

I’m not citing the quantities for the following passage (read the passage in the bible.

That week, a lamb shall be offered, one in the morning and one in the evening.  With one lamb have flour mingled with beaten oil and wine (for a drink offering).  Do the same for the second lamb in the evening.  This is an offering with a sweet savor made with fire unto the Lord.  Israel is commanded to do these things throughout their generations at the door of the tabernacle and so it shall be sanctified by My glory (says the Lord). 

Father lays out a guideline implying the attitude with which we should approach Him as a royal priesthood.  We don’t have to go through all the physical sacrifices of Israel, but these procedures were established to purify the priests before they entered into the presence of the Lord.

Note that Father makes things acceptable through fire.  John the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize us with fire – to burn off all the unwanted garbage in our lives (Matt. 3:11-12).  Paul tells the Corinthians to lay our foundation in Jesus and like the refining of gold (with fire), our bad works will burn off but the vessel (us) will be refined.  We are the temple of God and the Holy Ghost lives within us (1 Corinth. 3:11-16)!

Matthew 27:45-54 KJV 

45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?  That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias (Elijah). 48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his (Jesus’) resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

Heb. 9:16-28

16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.

17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator lives.

18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.

19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,

20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.

21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.

22 And almost all things are ,by the law, purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (our heart)

24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entered into the holy place every year with blood for others (lambs and bulls);

26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

So, just what does “being a royal priesthood mean to us?

Father desires us to be cleansed so that we may be acceptable before Him.  When Jesus died on the cross the veil in the temple, the veil that separated the Holy of Holies, the veil that separated God from Israel, was torn in two, thus giving us direct access to Father through Jesus Christ, our Lord (Mark 15:34-38).

God knows our heart (1 Sam. 16:7, Luke 16:15) so we don’t have to physically do all that Israel did.  Yet we do have to let God’s love abide in our hearts.  In so doing we will find ourselves living in the purity and holiness God intends.  Hopefully, this helps us to understand that our heart must be cleansed before the Lord.  We don’ just talk the talk, but we walk the walk as we live in Father’s love allowing the Holy Ghost full freedom to direct us in God’s will.   Then, just as David, we confess our sins to Father as soon as we realize what we’ve done (2 Sam. 12:1-24).  AND we have the Holy Ghost to help us.

Once again, Father desires us to come before Him with a clean heart, as we abide in His love.  If you love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).  My commandments are to love – God, then our fellow man (Mark 12:30-31).  As we believe in Jesus, His love is in us and we will be able to do the same works He has done – and greater (John 14:12)!  We have the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-4).  After all, Jesus commanded us to receive the Holt Ghost (John 20:22, Acts 1:8) and that enables us to forgive those who have come against us (Luke 17:3-4, Eph. 4:32).  Father loves us through Jesus.  Shouldn’t we show that love (which is in us) to those around us?

Father told Israel to give everything willingly (Exod. 35:22 – voluntarily, spontaneous).  Shouldn’t we do the same from our heart (2 Corinth. 9:7-8)?

Peter declared us a royal priesthood, that is being able to access Father through Jesus because of the torn veil.  We are a royal priesthood.  Do we live like it?

Amen

 

Saturday, July 13, 2024

7-13-2024        The Ministry of Jesus

How many of us truly comprehend the ministry of Jesus? 

In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God (John 1:1).

The Jews were upset with Jesus because He declared himself being at least equal with God by declaring God his Father (John 5:18).   What did God say to Moses on the mount?  “You shall have no other gods before Me.  You shall not make any graven image or the likeness of anything in heaven above, nor the earth beneath nor that is in the waters beneath the earth.  You shall not bow yourself to them nor serve them for I the Lord your God am a jealous God …” (Exod. 20:3-5).  Then Jesus tells the Jews “you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.  This is the first commandment …” (Mark 12:30).  Think about this, Jesus allowed people to worship Him.  As examples, the leper (Matt. 8:2), His disciples (Luke 24:50-53) and the blind man) John 9:35-38).  ???

God tells the Jews to keep His law and statutes and teach them to their children (Deut. 6:1-7) and we may conclude that Joseph did so with his (adopted) son, Jesus.  We see where Jesus ‘wowed’ the doctors (G1320 – didaskalos or instructors, Luke 2:46-49) in the temple.  We also see where Jesus increased in wisdom and stature with God and man (Luke 2:52).  Some insights into Jesus’ first thirty years of His life on earth.  He was laying the foundation for His ministry.

Jesus lived as one of us for approximately thirty years (Luke 3:23) and then He was baptized in water by John, for it was necessary to fulfill all righteousness, and note that Jesus also received the Holy Ghost at that time (Matt. 3:13-17, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:32-36).  After His baptism, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for forty days of fasting (Matt 4:1-11, Mark 1:13, Luke 4:1-13).  Jesus fasted for forty days!  Experts do not know exactly how long a person can live without eating, but there are records of people surviving without food or drink between 8 and 21 days. With water only, but no food, survival time may extend up to 2 to 3 months.  (https://www.healthline.com/).  The longest fast on record is a man named Angus Barbieri who did take in liquids and vitamins during his fast but had nothing to ‘eat’ for 382 days (https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blog/2018/02/).  A severe lack of food for a prolonged period — not enough calories of any sort to keep up with the body's energy needs — is starvation. The body's reserve resources are depleted. The result is substantial weight loss, wasting away of the body's tissues and eventually death.

When faced with starvation, the body does fight back.  As time moves on, energy levels fade and the body begins feeding on itself. "The body starts to consume energy stores — carbohydrates, fats and then moves to the protein parts of tissue," according to Maureen Gallagher, senior nutrition adviser to Action Against Hunger (a network of international humanitarian organizations focused on eliminating hunger). Metabolism slows, the body cannot regulate its temperature, kidney function is impaired and the immune system weakens.

When the body uses its reserves to provide basic energy needs, it can no longer supply necessary nutrients to vital organs and tissues. The heart, lungs, ovaries and testes shrink. Muscles shrink and people feel weak. Body temperature drops and people can feel chilled. People can become irritable, and it becomes difficult to concentrate.

Eventually, nothing is left for the body to scavenge except muscle. "Once protein stores start getting used, death is not far," according to Dr. Nancy Zucker, director of the Duke Center for Eating Disorders at Duke University. "You're consuming your own muscle, including the heart muscle." In the late stages of starvation, people can experience hallucinations, convulsions and disruptions in heart rhythm. Finally, the heart stops (https://www.npr.org/sections/).  Get the idea?

 

Physically, Jesus would have been very weakened so when Satan tempted Him with food Jesus should’ve been more than ready to eat.  But, Jesus was ‘in the Spirit’ at the time.  Who led Him into the wilderness?  In case somebody missed it – the Holy Ghost (Spirit)! 

 

What was Jesus preparing Himself for?  No, it wasn’t just the, about three and a half year ministry, on which He was about to embark.  He was also facing His arrest, trial, the scourging, physical death on the cross, the resurrection, the ascension and He now ministers to us through the Holy Ghost.  Jesus still ministers to us, the only difference is ‘how’ He ministers to us.  Can we understand what He went through for us?  Can we even comprehend the love which He has for us?

 

So, we see that Jesus prepared to implement His ministry by fasting.  But what is another key factor in preparing for a ministry?  PRAYER!  We know that Jesus was continually in touch with the Father. He prayed for things, peace be still (Mark 4:37-39, prayed for us, not just His disciples but for all who would believe on Him because of their words (John 17:15-21), and for Himself as in Gethsemane, “if it were possible, let this cup pass from Me, but not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:38- 44).   Even on the cross, Father, into your hands I commend My Spirit (Luke 23:46).  Here, we need to remember that as the Holy Ghost was with Jesus, here in this world, He now is also with us and because we have received Jesus, He is ‘in’ us (John 14:15-17).  He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5).

And so, just what is Jesus’ ministry?

He came into this world to redeem us from the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13).  That is He is our salvation (Rom. 10:9-10).  He came to heal us.  As Jesus said to the lame man “you are whole, sin no more …” (John 5:5-14).  Here ‘whole’ is the Greek word is hugies (G5199) which means to be healed, whole or complete (that is from top to bottom and inside and out).  He has come to give us abundant life (John 10:10).  Through the Holy Ghost, He teaches us (John 14:16-17).  He will protect us (John 17:15).  He assures that our faith has a solid foundation (Matt. 7:24-27).  That is built upon the ‘rock’ (that is Jesus).  The Greek word for ‘rock’ is petra (G4073), which carries the implication of a very large rock.  This is not to be confused with Petros (G4074), a rock larger than a pebble (lithos, G3037), but not as large as a petra.  Compare this with when Jesus tells Peter he is a rock; upon this rock I’ll build My church … (Matt. 16:18).  He encourages us as we look forward to that which our faithfulness brings us (Heb. 10:34-39), that we might be filled (blessed) with the fullness of God’s blessings (Eph. 3:19-20) as well as eternal life (John 10:28-29).

We have seen some of what Jesus has done for us.  I believe that understanding Jesus’ ministry adds up to developing a relationship in, with and through Christ Jesus.  As we are obedient to His Word, we will be able to reap the benefits of that relationship as described in the bible.  Father declares blessing to those who keep His commandments.  And when we don’t, curses (Deut. 11:27).  Know that as we abide in God’s love, He can do more for us than we could even ask or think, as He works in us, with us and through us  (Eph. 3:16-20).    

One more time.  Jesus came to bring us is into eternal life (salvation), help us to grow and bless us through our obedience in His will, that we, in turn, might be a blessing to others.

What is Jesus’ ministry?

As Christians, what kind of job have we been doing in imitating Jesus Christ?

Amen