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Posts Tagged ‘High Priest’

Moving into the Spirit

Posted in Body of Christ, tagged , , , , , , on October 31, 2022| Leave a Comment »

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Scripture reading: Ephesians 1:9-12

I often hear people ask, “How do I get into the Spirit?” First, remember that the Spirit is in you, and you must get into the Spirit. I cannot get into the Spirit by enjoying the music, but I can by listening to the words of the song. Sometimes I listen to you sing, and the praise is good, but it is not high praise. It could be higher. When you get to high praise, you are entirely out of self. You lose yourself completely and you are gone into the heavenlies. We get there by the Word of the Lord. Never sing a song that is unscriptural, and when you sing a scriptural song, think of the words. Think about what you are singing. I hear you singing a beautiful scriptural song, and then you go on to sing the last part, “Amen, Amen…” for a thousand times. I listened to the brethren, and they were singing beautifully. The music was good, the feeling was good, the Spirit was there, but they were not entering into the words of the song. If you dare to enter into those words, you lose yourself. You will either start to weep, or to confess God, or to confess your sins, or all of the above; and to move into God.

There is a “moving in God.” Do you know why? You have to be inside of the High Priest (Who is Jesus Christ) in order to get in the Holy of Holies through the veil. The Bible says the veil was His flesh. The High Priest (Christ) eats the bull with the bread (from the Table of Shewbread) and then goes into the Holy of Holies. That is the only way that a lowly bull would get into the Holy of Holies and into the presence of the Almighty. He has to be inside of the high priest, and I want you to understand that being “in Christ” is a different position than “Christ in you.”

There is a mystery in Christ, and the mystery in Christ is inside of Jesus Christ Himself. You ask yourself the question, “What is Jesus Christ?” To be exact, it cannot be explained, but for us, it is being in the body of Christ. Let us see if we can understand this: Something is happening “IN CHRIST.” First, there is a gathering, a coming together, so that everybody who is “in Christ” is coming together with everybody else who is “in Christ.” There is no separation “in Christ” (see Ephesians 4:13-16).

There is at present, however, separation in the Church; and the separation will increase, for those who are not “in Christ” will find some reason to withdraw. Nevertheless, we are exhorted in the verses in Ephesians 4 to endeavor to strive and to make every effort to “…keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” and that this is accomplished through “longsuffering,” and “forbearing one another in love.”

On the other hand, in Matthew 13, the Scriptures also speak of a separation and of bundles being put together for the fire. Verse 42, “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend (everything that is offensive), and them which do iniquity.”

The Body is going through a purge. Many people are dropping out and their reasons are varied. Dissension and separation should not come because of disagreements over the time and place of worship, or the how and why, because if we are moving in one Spirit, as it says in the verses from Ephesians 4, “the unity of the Spirit” will bring us into “the unity of the faith.” Everything in Christ, whether in this realm or the other realm, will move together as Christ brings His Body together into one from every tribe and nation.

Have you ever wondered what happened to Jesus Christ at night, when everybody had gone to sleep? He was able to see into the heavenlies, hear the heavenlies, and understand every movement of the Spirit. He had perfect communication with the Father from day to day. THIS IS A REALM INTO WHICH GOD IS MOVING THE BODY. He is lifting us up together with Him into heavenly places, making us one with Him. John in Revelation 5 declares that he heard all heaven and all earth giving glory, and praise, and honor to the Lamb. Then he himself joined them to cry out praises to the Lamb; and heaven, earth and even hell heard him.

(Excerpt from The Omega Message, April 1997, pg. 10-12)

Thought for today: Let us move into the Spirit by the Word of the Lord so that we may be able to see into the heavenlies, hear the heavenlies, and understand every movement of the Spirit.

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“And Thy House”

Posted in The Covenant, tagged , , , , , on August 16, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[Printable version]

Scripture reading: Acts 16:19-34

“…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”  (Acts 16:31)

“AND THY HOUSE.” The jailer had only asked for salvation for himself, but Paul offered him also for his whole household. Upon what authority was this offer made and was it biblical? It was upon the authority of Exodus 28. Of all the apostles of the Lamb, Paul was more versed in the typology of the Law and its meaning in Christ than any other. In verse 33, he baptized the whole family. This was no exception—this was the rule.

The jailer was the priest of his family, just as it was in the whole Jewish society that the head of the family was considered the priest of that family and he was spiritually accountable before God for his family. Upon the authority of this word therefore, Paul and Silas baptized the jailer and his whole family.

When the jailer knelt before God, the Lord saw his whole family represented and the curse of sin was removed from the family at that moment. The spiritual principle underlying this is that we are a covenant people. God has established His covenant with us through His Son as our High Priest so that all those with whom we have covenant, He recognizes them as covenanting with Him by proxy. When the devil takes a family, he has power over the third and fourth generation of those who are disobedient. The blood covenant of Jesus Christ with us makes our families blood-covenanted to Christ by proxy. As it was in the old Levitical covenant, the priest would go into the Holy of Holies once every year with the blood of the lamb and when his sins were forgiven all of Israel’s were also forgiven.

In our experience, we see God moving among our families. When one gets saved, then there is a domino effect and God begins to move in the whole family, especially and first among those who are obedient and willing, but even the unwilling are moved by the mercies of God. In the case of my own family, God saved me first, then my brother, then my sister and their families, then another brother’s family, then another brother, then my father and my mother. In my wife’s family the same thing is occurring and also in our children and their families, and the process still continues. There are some basic reasons for this, but it must be made clear that before God a covenant is a very serious matter.

The covenant must be exercised; it cannot be assumed that it will work without exercising it. I am sure most of us have stories of how God moves in our families. This is no coincidence. For those who do not have these stories of salvation of their families, then be assured they are in the making for God will honor his word.

(Excerpt from The Omega Message, October 1990, pg. 6-8)

Thought for today: Remember that the promise of salvation is not only to you but also to your house. Do not get discouraged by what you see today with your natural eyes. Exercise this family covenant and take God at His Word. You will NOT be disappointed.

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Moving into the Spirit

Posted in Body of Christ, tagged , , , , , , on January 27, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[Printable version]

Scripture reading: Ephesians 1:9-12

I often hear people ask, “How do I get into the Spirit?” First, remember that the Spirit is in you, and you must get into the Spirit. I cannot get into the Spirit by enjoying the music, but I can by listening to the words of the song. Sometimes I listen to you sing, and the praise is good, but it is not high praise. It could be higher. When you get to high praise, you are entirely out of self. You lose yourself completely and you are gone into the heavenlies. We get there by the Word of the Lord. Never sing a song that is unscriptural, and when you sing a scriptural song, think of the words. Think about what you are singing. I hear you singing a beautiful scriptural song, and then you go on to sing the last part, “Amen, Amen…” for a thousand times. I listened to the brethren, and they were singing beautifully. The music was good, the feeling was good, the Spirit was there, but they were not entering into the words of the song. If you dare to enter into those words, you lose yourself. You will either start to weep, or to confess God, or to confess your sins, or all of the above; and to move into God.

There is a “moving in God.” Do you know why? You have to be inside of the High Priest (Who is Jesus Christ) in order to get in the Holy of Holies through the veil. The Bible says the veil was His flesh. The High Priest (Christ) eats the bull with the bread (from the Table of Shewbread) and then goes into the Holy of Holies. That is the only way that a lowly bull would get into the Holy of Holies and into the presence of the Almighty. He has to be inside of the high priest, and I want you to understand that being “in Christ” is a different position than “Christ in you.”

There is a mystery in Christ, and the mystery in Christ is inside of Jesus Christ Himself. You ask yourself the question, “What is Jesus Christ?” To be exact, it cannot be explained, but for us, it is being in the body of Christ. Let us see if we can understand this: Something is happening “IN CHRIST.” First, there is a gathering, a coming together, so that everybody who is “in Christ” is coming together with everybody else who is “in Christ.” There is no separation “in Christ” (see Ephesians 4:13-16).

There is at present, however, separation in the Church; and the separation will increase, for those who are not “in Christ” will find some reason to withdraw. Nevertheless, we are exhorted in the verses in Ephesians 4 to endeavor to strive and to make every effort to “…keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” and that this is accomplished through “longsuffering,” and “forbearing one another in love.”

On the other hand, in Matthew 13, the Scriptures also speak of a separation and of bundles being put together for the fire. Verse 42, “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend (everything that is offensive), and them which do iniquity.”

The Body is going through a purge. Many people are dropping out and their reasons are varied. Dissension and separation should not come because of disagreements over the time and place of worship, or the how and why, because if we are moving in one Spirit, as it says in the verses from Ephesians 4, “the unity of the Spirit” will bring us into “the unity of the faith.” Everything in Christ, whether in this realm or the other realm, will move together as Christ brings His Body together into one from every tribe and nation.

Have you ever wondered what happened to Jesus Christ at night, when everybody had gone to sleep? He was able to see into the heavenlies, hear the heavenlies, and understand every movement of the Spirit. He had perfect communication with the Father from day to day. THIS IS A REALM INTO WHICH GOD IS MOVING THE BODY. He is lifting us up together with Him into heavenly places, making us one with Him. John in Revelation 5 declares that he heard all heaven and all earth giving glory, and praise, and honor to the Lamb. Then he himself joined them to cry out praises to the Lamb; and heaven, earth and even hell heard him.

(Excerpt from The Omega Message, April 1997, pg. 10-12)

Thought for today: Let us move into the Spirit by the Word of the Lord so that we may be able to see into the heavenlies, hear the heavenlies, and understand every movement of the Spirit.

Read Full Post »

God’s Presence Within

Posted in Christian Walk, tagged , , , , on January 19, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[Printable version]

Scripture reading: Exodus 30:1-10

I pray that God might open our eyes that we might see His work in this hour, for I believe that those who behold will receive. I believe that God is making us to see the thing, and then to walk in it and receive it. I believe that He has begun to tell us in direct terms that we can now enter in. Formerly, we looked forward to the firstfruits and the resurrection of the Christ within us as something in the far future. But I am seeing that it is being offered to us as something that has already been done in the heavenlies, and that we are being encouraged to enter in.

Today, I want you to remember the Day of Atonement in the Old Testament times, when the priest would go through the veil. He had been preparing for this moment for a whole year. The day had come when he should go through the veil, and it was a fearful place. He had done all that was necessary in the tabernacle: the lamp was lit, the bread was changed, and he was now before the golden altar for the last time before going into the Holy of Holies, into the presence of God.

The Golden Altar was the place of the offering of the soul. The priest takes out a handful of incense and places it on the fire. The incense goes up into smoke, which tells him that God has accepted his prayers; and he says to God, “This is for my sins and for the sins of Israel.” He was offering his soul, because Israel had laid their hands on him to be their scapegoat, and he became their sin bearer.  He was now ready to give up all, totally, to go through the veil. He might not return alive, because he was going into the very presence of God. He wanted to see God manifest His pleasure in his offering by shining forth in the Shekinah glory. It would shine from between the cherubim, but he was not able to look upon it. He would fall upon his face and worship God when the power of God came upon him.

We should notice that there is a deeper, inner work being done now in the hearts and lives of believers. Those who are really going on with God are going into a fullness they have never experienced before. The lamb was chosen ten days before he was offered and so there seems to be a selection going on in the Spirit as never before. Something in the individual seems to be saying, “I do not have much interest in the things of this life anymore.” It seems to me that there is something more important among the brethren, that their hearts are turning away from the world and turning more to God.

The hand of God is offering the people of God that fullness which we so long prayed for. “THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE…” seems no longer to be in the far future, but is being activated by the Spirit right now. I see God getting His people into shape, because He must have a people without spot or wrinkle.

(Excerpt from The Omega Message, April 1997, pg. 1-2)

Thought for today: Let God’s deeper, inner work be done in your heart and life so that you may experience the fullness that is awaiting His people just round the corner. May your prayer today be, “Not my will, but thine be done.”

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“And Thy House”

Posted in The Covenant, tagged , , , , , on November 12, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[Printable version]

Scripture reading: Acts 16:19-34

“…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”  (Acts 16:31)

“AND THY HOUSE.” The jailer had only asked for salvation for himself, but Paul offered him also for his whole household. Upon what authority was this offer made and was it biblical? It was upon the authority of Exodus 28. Of all the apostles of the Lamb, Paul was more versed in the typology of the Law and its meaning in Christ than any other. In verse 33, he baptized the whole family. This was no exception—this was the rule.

The jailer was the priest of his family, just as it was in the whole Jewish society that the head of the family was considered the priest of that family and he was spiritually accountable before God for his family. Upon the authority of this word therefore, Paul and Silas baptized the jailer and his whole family.

When the jailer knelt before God, the Lord saw his whole family represented and the curse of sin was removed from the family at that moment. The spiritual principle underlying this is that we are a covenant people. God has established His covenant with us through His Son as our High Priest so that all those with whom we have covenant, He recognizes them as covenanting with Him by proxy. When the devil takes a family, he has power over the third and fourth generation of those who are disobedient. The blood covenant of Jesus Christ with us makes our families blood-covenanted to Christ by proxy. As it was in the old Levitical covenant, the priest would go into the Holy of Holies once every year with the blood of the lamb and when his sins were forgiven all of Israel’s were also forgiven.

In our experience, we see God moving among our families. When one gets saved, then there is a domino effect and God begins to move in the whole family, especially and first among those who are obedient and willing, but even the unwilling are moved by the mercies of God. In the case of my own family, God saved me first, then my brother, then my sister and their families, then another brother’s family, then another brother, then my father and my mother. In my wife’s family the same thing is occurring and also in our children and their families, and the process still continues. There are some basic reasons for this, but it must be made clear that before God a covenant is a very serious matter.

The covenant must be exercised; it cannot be assumed that it will work without exercising it. I am sure most of us have stories of how God moves in our families. This is no coincidence. For those who do not have these stories of salvation of their families, then be assured they are in the making for God will honor his word.

(Excerpt from The Omega Message, October 1990, pg. 6-8)

Thought for today: Remember that the promise of salvation is not only to you but also to your house. Do not get discouraged by what you see today with your natural eyes. Exercise this family covenant and take God at His Word. You will NOT be disappointed.

Read Full Post »

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