Good things to come

Heb 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building


Christ being come an high priest of good things to come.


A high priest of what???


Of good things to come.


Future tense- to come. It doesn't read- 'Christ being come an high priest of good things right now'. Yes, some choose to interpret it to mean things right now but the way I read it, it means what it says. 'Christ being come an high priest of good things to come.'


This strikes me as being very relevant at the moment in a personal way. The Holy Spirit has been guiding me in a striking way to consider the 'things to come' , of not being caught up in the things of right now. We get so bogged down in our lives the future seems like a dream- reality in having the dream but the substance of the dream- of our inevitable future is all nonsensical.


Getting bogged down in the here and now it becomes hard to believe there is a future beyond tomorrow, next week, next year, ten years, thirty years, fifty years from now. Some can't even imagine a future for next year let alone fifty years, and most people don't want to truly consider their future beyond their life span.


Are we promised good things on earth now? Are we?


Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.


Does that sound like a promise of riches?
Does that sound like a promise of good health?
Does that sound like a promise of any worldly treasure?


In the world ye shall have tribulation.


YE SHALL HAVE TRIBULATION.


Tribulation-
G2347
thlipsis
thlip'-sis
From G2346; pressure (literally or figuratively): - afflicted, (-tion), anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble.


Ye shall have pressure, affliction, anguish, burdens, persecutions, tribulations, trouble.


So if we are told that in the world we will have all this tribulation why do we scratch our heads and ponder the reason why the tribulation exists in our lives? Why do we wonder- why me? Why this? Why now?


The ONLY peace we will ever have in a form of endless peace, peace everlasting, peace not affected by anything at all whatsoever is if we have Christ's peace.


Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.


Christ's peace.


Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.



What peace does the world give to us?


The peace of having no financial hardships.
The peace of having good health.
The peace of having trusting companionship.
The peace of job security.
The peace of a loving family.


These are all things we want to have right now to keep us feeling peaceful. Worldly peace- peace the world gives.. We aren't left with this peace from Christ, we are left with HIS peace which is NOT like peace we'll find in the world. We aren't to be troubled, or to be afraid- two things we almost inevitably are when we lack worldly peace. We instantly get caught up in worrying when we lack the peace we want to have in the world- worldly peace. Our health starts to fail- we worry. Our financial security is taken away- we worry. The love of our life decides they want to be the love of someone else's life- we are very troubled, very worried. Our lives are filled with tribulations. Is it any wonder our Savior said- 'my peace I give unto you NOT as the world giveth? Is there any wonder He made the distinction between the two?


He did. It wasn't me who did it, I'm not saying this stuff, I'm not making it up, Christ Himself said these words….


Peace I leave with you
my peace I give unto you
not as the world giveth,
give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled
neither let it be afraid.


Our hearts are troubled when we count on having peace in our worldly existence. When we count on our lives going the way we imagine they should we will be sorely disappointed.


Jesus wants us to have HIS peace. The peace that He offers to us. The peace that as High Priest in heaven He has become for us. Christ being come a high priest of good things to come. Does this have other applications, yes, but me, for right now this has this particular meaning.


The good is to COME, we aren't promised a good worldly life, how can we be, this isn't our world and it wasn't Christ's world. The kingdom of God we pray to come is the world we live for now in this world.


2Co 6:4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
2Co 6:5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
2Co 6:6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
2Co 6:7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
2Co 6:8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
2Co 6:9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
2Co 6:10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.


Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.


Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.



Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done.

Pain of this world

Ecc 3:10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.


There is NO denying that this world offers us pain after pain after pain, heartache, agony, anguish, despair. I won't deny it. I won't tell anyone to follow Jesus and there will be no pain. I won't try and spread the word of the gospel, the plan of salvation, the love of our Lord and tell people life will be happiness and sunshine, that nothing bad will happen to them ever again. To tell people that is to lie to them. I will never preach loving God, following God, choosing to live with God in your life will make things better in a worldly way.


I wrote about it yesterday and it bears repeating, writing about it over and over again… we can't live for this world! We can't live for this world's pleasure, this world's good things, this world's happiness. We can't live for a life of ease, or even for a life of barely surviving. We just can't live for this world, bad or good. If our life is horrific… and believe me I barely know what that's like outside of hearing about the horrors of third world countries, or if our life is one of average ease- of which I know something about, or even if our lives are filled with riches untold we CAN'T live for this world.


We want to live for this world. We see the good things it has to offer and we want to live for them. We want to live even when our lives are filled with horror… just look at those who go through life in severe poverty, degraded by those around them and most of them do not choose to take their lives, they want to live. People who are starving and live in families of starving people- want to live. People who are in pain, severe pain still mostly choose to live. I'm not saying EVERYONE chooses life, but the majority of people no matter their circumstances want to live and those in bad situations want to live and hope things will get better.


We've been raised by the world around us to want to live for things of this world. We can't live for this world, if we do we will forever be disappointed. Sure we'll be happy on occasion but life's pain will be overwhelming.


I know I'm harping on this stuff, I'm just going through something right now that keeps this forefront in my mind.


We are NOT OF THIS WORLD!


Mat 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.


What treasures have you laid up in heaven?
What treasures have you banked in heaven?
When's the last time you stored up anything in heaven?
What treasures can we put in heaven?
What treasures can't rust?
What treasures can't become moth eaten?
What treasures can't be stolen?
All earthly treasures can be taken from us, every single treasure can be stolen.


We need to take this seriously, we need to believe these words and take them to heart.


We NEED to STOP living for this world.


Jesus wants us to put our hearts with Him, in heaven, in hope and there we will find life everlasting- a life eventually of no more pain, no more heartache, no more hunger, no more agonies, no more disappointments.


May God bless us all and help us to put our treasures in heaven, knowing that only in heaven can our treasures be safe.


By the grace of our Savior, through the love and righteousness of our Lord may we live now and forever in Him.


Amen.

Satan

Satan.


What do you think of when you hear that name? Does it conjure up visions of some evil mythical figure? Do you have the image of an every day guy in a business suit sporting a creepy smile? Maybe the name of Satan brings up the picture of a horned and hoofed creature carrying a pitchfork. Do you ever picture an angel when you hear the name Satan? Seriously. Do you? Maybe you do, who am I to know.


What I do know is this... Satan as a REAL, live entity in our lives- is missing.


Time and time again I've come face to face with the realization that Satan is just not considered a real driving force in our lives.


Maybe if we took a picture of Him, however we view Him, and enlarged it to at least human life-size and stuck it on a wall in our house so that we saw this image every day, maybe then he'd become more real. We could see him and know that he is alive! We could see that picture and know it belongs to something REAL.


No. I don't want a picture of Satan in my house, I don't want a life-size image of Satan on any wall I have, but I do want to live with the realization that Satan is alive as much as I am alive. Satan is alive as much as Jesus is alive. Satan is alive as much as God is alive.


I don't want to tout Satan for anyone, I don't want to champion Satan this isn't at all what it's about, not one bit. But another trick of the great deceiver is getting people to NOT believe he exists, that he really does influences them.


GOD or SATAN!


ONE or the OTHER!


You don't live one minute, not one second without one or the other being your choice.


We are CREATURES.


We are CREATED beings.


We either choose to have faith in our Creator and the hope He gives us through the righteousness of His Son, through His son's sacrifice, or we turn from our Creator and the Creator's enemy takes control over us. We can't live without our Creator… there is only death without Him and our lives are only living death without Him.


We need the living water.
We need the bread of life.


Satan can never give us living water.
Satan can never give us the bread of life.


Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
Joh 4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
Joh 4:12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
Joh 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
Joh 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.


them bread from heaven to eat.
Joh 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
Joh 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Joh 6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.


We need life and life is only found in Christ- real life, endless life, life everlasting, life eternal, life.


May God help us to realize we have an enemy, may God help EVERYONE realize they have an enemy that would do anything He can to keep them from life eternal, life everlasting.


In His grace!

Amen.

Tragedies, loss of hope, neither let the deep swallow 'us' up

Psa 69:15 Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.
Psa 69:16 Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.
Psa 69:17 And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.


Tragedies, big and small bring pain beyond imagination.


The waters of strife, the floods of emotional agony grip us. The deep, dark depths of pure despair threaten to overwhelm us. The pit would close us inside, the pit of anguish would devour us never to be seen again, to never lay hold of our eternal life in Christ.


Satan would have us drown in our pain, our very real pain.


Satan would have our losses rip any faith we have in God away.


Satan would have us lay all the blame on Christ's shoulders.


Satan laughs at our heartaches.


Jesus weeps with us.


There is no escaping that the pain in this world is endless. Whether you're a Christian or not, you will have pain, you will have heartaches. If you're not a Christian this life- filled with pain- will be all you'll ever know. This world is not our true home, we are NOT of this world. If we place all our hopes and dreams here on earth, in this world, our hopes will be crushed time and time again.


Today my niece miscarried her third child and as we were leaving the hospital in tears I hugged her and she said these heart breaking words to me… 'I just can't hope any more.' Those words broke my heart.


My sister had called me earlier in the morning to pray for her daughter, and with my sister's broken relationship with Christ, to have her reaching out for prayers is wonderful- just knowing she's turning to God for help is a miracle. I told her I was praying but I don't have my own personal direct line to God like she thinks I do (she even says I do). When I saw her at the hospital before the news, I told her I was praying for God's will to be done and she wagged her finger at me while furrowing her brow as if she didn’t want me to pray that way but some other way.


I did pray for my niece and her unborn baby, I did ask for a miracle, but ultimately in all things I want God who knows the end from the beginning to have HIS will done, not mine. Does this mean I believe it was God's will for my niece to lose her 3rd baby? That makes God seem like some cruel tyrant and Satan wants us to believe that He is just that- He wants us to believe God is hateful and hurtful, uncaring, vengeful, and spiteful. Satan glories in those thoughts, if Satan could get us to blame God for everything tragic that happens to us He will. God's will is for us to love Him, for us to have eternal life in Him through the sacrifice of His only Son. God's will is for us to have faith in Him. God's will for us is to place our treasures, our hopes IN HEAVEN. Does this mean we aren't to have hopes here on earth? That we aren't to hope for babies, or finding a marriage partner, that we shouldn't hope for a good job, and good health? No. We can hope for all those things, I know I have, and I do. We can hope but understand that first and foremost our hope needs to be in Christ, our Savior, our Redeemer.


1Ti 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope


2Co 1:2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
2Co 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
2Co 1:4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
2Co 1:5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
2Co 1:6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
2Co 1:7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.


The sufferings in Christ are many. Sufferings are many for all. In Christ we have consolation. In Christ alone we have hope.


1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
1Co 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
1Co 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.


We have hope in Christ for eternal life, not just for life here and now.


To constantly harp on laying our treasures up in heaven seems as if I'm a broken record. But when my niece's heart is broken before my very eyes, when I look into her face and see the deep anguish there and I have nothing to give her to ease her pain I am only reminded of how horrible this world is. I will not blame God, I refuse to blame God! Satan has RUINED this world! SATAN BE DAMNED! And Satan is damned! We can't choose to be damned with Him! We can choose to be saved in Christ! We can choose to live now for life everlasting. We can choose to realize that the agonies of this world will NEVER end. We can choose to understand that the pain, though raw and horrific, threatening to consume us, is too only temporary- even if it lasts our entire life here in this world- it is only temporary.


We have to live for Christ.
We have to have our hope in Him always.


It breaks my heart believing that my sister's tentative faith might be crushed and she's piled yet another brick upon God, placing the blame upon Him and not on Satan.


I can only hope and pray that it is God's will that my sister, my niece, her husband, my brother in law, and all those who are affected by this tragedy can find strength to endure through Christ, that somehow it draws them closer to Him and not further away. It's my prayer my niece places her hope in Christ and finds solace in Him knowing that He weeps with her in her pain, that He is touched by her heartaches and He longs for her to be with Him in life eternal where there will be no pain, no heartache.


Please… pray for my family.


In the love of Christ, by His grace, by His mercy now and forever!!!


Amen.

Worldly Foolish, Salvation Wise

Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.


Psa 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.


Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.


Job 36:3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.


Psa 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.


Psa 24:5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.


Psa 31:1 ...In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.


Psa 71:2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.


Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.


2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.


Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.


Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.


*

Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.


When so much unrighteousness surrounds us, when Satan would have us buried deep in the thick mire of our own vileness we have to remember that God alone is righteous above all and we have to believe in God and His Righteousness. We aren't to believe in ourselves. We can't SAVE ourselves by believing in own ability, our own righteousness. The only way we can save ourselves is to believe in the Lord and Salvation in our Savior, God's Son.


Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Act 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.


We save ourselves when we REPENT and are baptized in the name of our Savior for the forgiveness of our sins.



Satan's assaults grow more and more intense all around us. The closer we move towards our God the closer Satan moves towards us to take us away from Him.


Praise God we are saved by grace, that the righteousness we possess is our belief in God's righteousness, in His plan of salvation.


We have to CLING to this belief and NEVER give it up. Satan wants us to turn our minds inwards to ourselves and not outward to God. The cares of this world do truly threaten to overwhelm. We must remember that this world is already counted as lost, but the world to come is our Savior's and it's that world we need to look to when this world would tear us apart, when Satan would tear us spiritually limb from spiritual limb. When we are so caught up in the cares of this world that it seems as if Satan is dangling us above a bottomless pit, our legs kicking, our hands scrambling to cling to anything that would keep us from failing, we have to remember Christ is our Savior and we have to let go of Satan's pinching fingers trusting that we will be caught up unto our Lord.


Satan will tell us that we HAVE to worry over this life, to just NOT worry isn't how it's done. He wants us worrying and worrying and worrying as long as he can keep us worrying we keep ourselves from trusting, from believing. Satan wants us to believe it's stupid to even think of NOT worrying when there is SOOOOO much to worry about. We don't want to be stupid, we don't want to be considered clueless and foolish, stupid, dumb, blind to the REAL world, going about with our heads in the clouds, crazily happy in the knowledge of Salvation… we should want to be worldly stupid, worldly clueless, worldly foolish, worldly stupid, dumb and blind as long as we are CRAZY happy in the knowledge of our Salvation!!!


May God bless us and keep us, guide our paths, protect us from the wiles of the Devil so that we may serve Him and only Him, by His righteousness, in HIS everlasting LOVE, through the grace of our Savior!


Amen.

Sanctuary Service Before and After Christ

The end to the daily sacrifices had to come and the only way that end could come was if another, a better, a true Sacrifice, the ultimate Sacrifice that ALL the other inferior sacrifices pointed to was Sacrificed.


When that Sacrifice was made then all the ordinances of the daily sacrifices were no longer needed, the way into the Holiest was made. The way into the Most Holy Place was opened. Our HIGH PRIEST would enter the Most Holy Place.


Let's think about this for a moment. All the pieces of furniture in the Sanctuary pointed to Jesus.


The candlestick - Jesus is the light.


Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.


The table of shewbread- Jesus is the bread of life.


Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.


The altar of incense- Jesus is the way to God, Jesus is our intercessor.


Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.


The altar of burnt offerings- Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice-


Heb 7:27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.


People make the mistake of thinking that the sacrificial services of the old testament way was what gave people forgiveness before Christ died. Forgiveness is ONLY found through the Messiah. Before Christ arrived it was ever looking forward to the hope of the coming Messiah and His Sacrifice. After Christ died we are forever looking back to His having come and His Sacrifice. Christ has ALWAYS been the only way to forgiveness before He came and after.


Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.


Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.


Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.


The Messiah… the Messiah shall be cut off but not for himself. This is foretold!


Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.


Isa 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
Isa 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Isa 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
Isa 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Isa 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Isa 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Isa 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.


The Sanctuary services were in action all pointing to the coming Messiah.
Once the Messiah had come there was no longer need for the Sanctuary services.


You know today there is no sacrificial system- why? If the Jewish community do not recognize that Christ the Messiah has come and died for them? They say it's because there is no temple. The temple was destroyed in 70AD. One thousand nine-hundred and forty years have passed since the temple was destroyed. You would think if this were something that was NEEDED to keep your faith in a system of sacrifice to point to the coming of your messiah, you would find a way to keep on with it. NOT recognizing their Savior… it's unfathomable to me. The reality is they are waiting to rebuild the temple yet again. The temple that is NO longer necessary to point the way to the Messiah who has already come.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Temple


Heb 9:9 Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
Heb 9:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
Heb 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.


A figure for the time PRESENT.


Christ in the Heavenly Sanctuary is the figure for our PRESENT time.


By His grace may we continue to study more and more of our Lord, our Savior, our High Priest.


In His amazing love!!!!


Amen.

The way into the Most Holy Place

Heb 9:1 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
Heb 9:2 For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.
Heb 9:3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;
Heb 9:4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
Heb 9:5 And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.


Over the ark were cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat.


Let's just look at a few verses about the cherubims so we can get a description of them.


Gen 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.


God placed Cherubims at the east of the garden of Eden with flaming swords- these would protect the way to the tree of life.


Exo 25:18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
Exo 25:19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
Exo 25:20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
Exo 25:21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
Exo 25:22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.



We have Cherubims guarding the way to the tree of life so no one could get to the tree of life and eat and live forever in sin.


Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.


Two cherubims as in the pattern of the real shown to Moses in the mount, were made of gold. These cherubims overshadowed the mercy seat. Perhaps symbolically guarding the holy.


Here in Hebrews we are told this--


Heb 9:5 And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.


This particular aspect of the Most Holy Place would not be spoken of right then. I'm not going to dwell here on the cherubims or the mercy seat…not here. It's enough to have the picture in our minds that we are being asked to have there. A picture of the Sanctuary- of the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place and the objects therein. This is the Sanctuary created on earth after the one in heaven.


Heb 9:6 Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.


For many, many years from the time of Moses the common priests went ALWAYS into the first tabernacle (the HolyPlace) of the Sanctuary, the first apartment. The common priests had been ordained to perform many tasks in the sanctuary service, there were many ordinances enacted by them. It was a way of life for the priests- doing the work given them by God. There are many details of this priestly work- the services that were to be performed. You can read about them in Exodus, in Leviticus and throughout the Bible.


However ONCE every year the High Priest alone went into the Most Holy Place, the second apartment of the tabernacle behind the veil. The High Priest went into the Most Holy Place once a year for a special purpose- to cleanse the Sanctuary.

Heb 9:7 But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people


We have to delve into this once a year service because it is all representative a the future- after Christ's great Sacrifice, when Christ becomes our High Priest.


Let's read about it--


Lev 16:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died;
Lev 16:2 And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
Lev 16:3 Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
Lev 16:4 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.
Lev 16:5 And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
Lev 16:6 And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.
Lev 16:7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Lev 16:8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
Lev 16:9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD'S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
Lev 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
Lev 16:11 And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:
Lev 16:12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:
Lev 16:13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:
Lev 16:14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.
Lev 16:15 Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
Lev 16:16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
Lev 16:17 And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.
Lev 16:18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
Lev 16:19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
Lev 16:20 And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:
Lev 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Lev 16:22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
Lev 16:23 And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:
Lev 16:24 And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.
Lev 16:25 And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar.
Lev 16:26 And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.
Lev 16:27 And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.
Lev 16:28 And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
Lev 16:29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:
Lev 16:30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
Lev 16:31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.
Lev 16:32 And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments:
Lev 16:33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.
Lev 16:34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.



This all signified that the way into the Holiest was not yet manifest…. Only going into the Most Holy Place once a year to cleanse all the people, to cleanse the corporate whole of the congregation, to cleanse the Sanctuary of all the sin. All the sin throughout the year was covered by the blood of the sacrifices, then once every year the High Priest would remove ALL that blood covered sin collected.


Blood covered sin collected.


Blood covered sin.


How filthy, how disgusting, how vile. When we think of something covered in blood it's not in a good way, it's usually accompanied by a sense of horror, a sense of wrongness, blood is not supposed to be shed. Blood is supposed to remain within us, within animals, within all that have blood in them. When blood is let… it's not a natural process outside that which became a woman's lot. The bloodied, the wounded, the dying, the dead. The injured, the murdered- blood covered has it's own sense of being wrong, doesn't it?


Sacrifices were made for sin. The blood would flow and the sin would be covered by the sacrifice. This was an imperfect service, this was a type pointing to the true. For years this service was enacted- daily and then once a year a special service. This special service showed plainly that the daily service wasn't enough by itself to bring about the way to full atonement. The daily service revealed the necessity of the daily need to be forgiven, to seek forgiveness. The yearly service revealed that the daily seeking of forgiveness didn't purify from sin. The yearly service symbolically revealed that there was a greater service needed to cleanse fully. As long as the daily sacrificing and the yearly sacrificing and cleansing were being performed the way into the Holiest…


Heb 9:8 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing


The first tabernacle- the place of the daily sacrifice- the place before the Holiest Place.


As long as the daily service in the first tabernacle remained, as long as the daily sacrifices were made, it showed that daily access into the Most Holy place wasn't possible.


The end to the daily sacrifices had to come and the only way that end could come was if another, a better, a true Sacrifice, the ultimate Sacrifice that ALL the other inferior sacrifices pointed to was Sacrificed.


When that Sacrifice was made then all the ordinances of the daily sacrifices were no longer needed, the way into the Holiest was made. The way into the Most Holy Place was opened. Our HIGH PRIEST would enter the Most Holy Place.


Heb 9:9 Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
Heb 9:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.



Heb 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.


Heb 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?


Heb 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.


Heb 9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.


Heb 9:17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.


Heb 9:18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
Heb 9:19 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,
Heb 9:20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.


Heb 9:21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.


Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.


Heb 9:23 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.


Heb 9:24 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:


Heb 9:25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
Heb 9:26 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.


Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 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.


There is so much here we can discuss and will discuss. More tomorrow if God wills. We will go back and really study these verses, really delving into the meat given to us to eat. There is a reason the heavenly sanctuary is here us to understand more fully. The earthly sanctuary services are over- the way into the Most Holy Place was opened and the Most Holy Place is where God dwells.


May God continue to bless us as we study His word, His truth, His love.


By the grace and mercy of our Savior now and forever, for always!


Amen.