Podcasts about holies

The plan of God is to pour His abundant love; everything He is and everything He has and all His peace and His joy; His plan is to pour that out upon your life. And that … that's why He's sent the Holy Spirit.   How Thirsty are You? We are starting a new series this week on Christianityworks called "The Holy Spirit and Me". For most of my life I haven't been a Christian. My early memories of church as a child were hard pews and filtered light through yellow windows and the Latin Mass and then as I grew up, a German Mass. And for me as a child, it felt like the whole thing was just droning on. I don't mean to criticise but for me as a kid, the whole Christianity/religion thing – it just didn't work. It all seemed pretty much irrelevant. In fact, I remember in church, sitting as a young child, I knew my father could wiggle his ears and I thought, "Maybe I can do it too" and the biggest thing I got out of that time – sitting still for me for an hour on end was just a terrible thing as a kid – was learning to wiggle my ears. And as I grew up, I'm your typical baby-boomer – you know, I was into career, into money, into having things and I discovered I was very good at what I did so, I got onto the treadmill of life and the whole religion and rules and church thing, by and large, for me, was just irrelevant – particularly as a baby-boomer. So when I came to that time in my life, about eleven years ago, when God started to stir things around inside of me; began to develop a sense of my own spirituality, I thought, "I only want this if it is real, if it's relevant, if it's here and now, if it makes a difference." The notion of church and religion to me was vacuous and out of date and irrelevant. If there was a God I wanted to know Him and if not I thought, "I can do without all that other palaver" – you know. I don't know if you have been at functions or events or cocktail parties when you are standing around and you have a discussion with someone and it's all superficial and you wander off and go and get another drink and you talk to someone else at all this superficial level. It's so different to having a great meal with some close friends where there is a depth and a reality to the relationship. And I guess to me, that was the distinction between the whole churchy/religiousy thing on the one hand, which I saw as superficial and the depth of relationship on the other which is what I wanted with this God – with this Jesus, if He was who He said He was. A friend is someone who sticks by you through thick and thin. A friend accepts you for who you are, good and bad. So I thought, "If I am going to be a Christian I want a deep, passionate, real relationship with God." I remember having a cup of coffee not many months after I gave my life to Christ and this man was my pastor – a wonderful man – and he saw how excited, how passionate I was about this new relationship that I had discovered with Jesus. And he said to me, "Berni, you know, it's not always going to be like that. There will be days when it's bad," and in a sense he's right, there are some tough days in life. But I went home and I was really angry with what he had said and I remember praying, I said, "God, if I am going to be a Christian I want to do it with my all and I want it to be a real, powerful relationship and I want to know this peace and this joy and this love and this excitement every day of my life." Now, there are three types of people in this world – those who enjoy a relationship like that with God – and I would encourage you to stick with us today because it will be an encouragement to listen to what we are talking about with the Holy Spirit. There are those who believe in Jesus – the second type – but they don't have that sort of relationship. Somehow the Christianity thing is hollow; it's empty. The third…the third are people who don't yet believe in Jesus, who don't have that relationship and maybe you are asking, "Well, does He have anything to offer?" So today let me encourage you – we are going to open up a box here and look at what Jesus says about the subject of having a relationship with Him and for you to evaluate that and decide for yourself whether that's the sort of passionate relationship you would like to have. Way back in the Old Testament, to the prophet Jeremiah, when God's people, the people of Israel were going through some really tough times – God always seems to show up for Israel during the tough times. And He makes really powerful and far-reaching and exciting promises and this is one of those times. He says: Look, after all this is through, I will put My Word inside you. I'll write it on your heart and I will be your God and you will by my people and you won't have to teach each other and say to each other, 'Know God' because you will know Me. From the least to the greatest" says the Lord, "I'll forgive you and I'll remember your sin no more and you will love me. I love that passage because that's God heart; that's God passion; that is God saying to me and God saying to you, "I want to have a relationship with you, I want to be close to you, I want for you to know Me." You know, it's one thing to know God; it's another thing to know God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our spirit, to be consumed with the wonder and the awe of who God is. There is another beautiful passage in the Book of Joel – another one of the Old Testament prophets: And God says, "After all these things, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesy. This picture of God wanting to have a relationship; this picture of God pouring out His Spirit - you know, He's not doing it with an eye-dropper; He's not doing it with a little cup, God wants to pour out His Holy Spirit. That's why this week we are starting a series called, "The Holy Spirit and Me". Who is this Holy Spirit? What's His job? What's He like? What does He do? What's my relationship? What's the whole point of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit? So right now I'd ask you how thirsty are you? How much do you want to have a relationship with God through the Holy Spirit?   Intimacy with God We are going to have a look today at what Jesus had to say about this person, the Holy Spirit and we are going to John chapter 14 – if you have got a Bible, grab it and open it up – the fourth Book in the New Testament – John chapter 14. Now Jesus has spent three and a half years with His disciples; they were fishermen and tax collectors and they had seen Him do the most amazing miracles; they had heard Him preach powerful sermons but the time was drawing near for Him to be crucified. Now Jesus was a religious subversive. The religious establishment of the day was into rules and religion and pomp and ceremony and hypocrisy and oppression and they had done deals with the Roman occupying power and Jesus ... Jesus comes along and threatens that. He is like a breath of fresh air. He hangs around with common people, like you and me. He stands up for the oppressed ones and the marginalised ones. He does miracles and He shows up the establishment and so they plot to kill Him. So His disciples have this sense of fear and loss. He is telling them about it and they are wondering, "Well what about my life? I mean, this Jesus who has been doing these amazing things, He says He is going to be crucified – what then?" So this little rag-tag group of fishermen and tax collectors and the people that God has chosen to establish His church are about to experience the deep loss of Jesus on the cross. And Jesus comes along and promises them something and that's what we are going to read now in John's Gospel chapter 14, beginning at verse 15. Let's have a bit of a read. He says: If you love me you will keep my commandments and I will ask My Father and He will give you another advocate; another comforter to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because they don't see Him or know Him but you know Him because He dwells and abides with you and He will be in you. I won't leave you orphaned; I'm coming to you. In a little while the world won't see me any longer but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in My Father and you are in me and I am in you. They who have My commandments and keep them, are those who love Me and those who love Me will be loved by My Father and I will love them and reveal Myself to them. Judas – not Iscariot, another Judas – said to Him "Lord, how is it that you reveal yourself to us and not to the world?" And Jesus answered him "Those who love me will keep My Word and My Father will love them and we will come to them and make our home with them." And then He goes on to say: Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I don't give it to you the way the world gives. Don't let your hearts be troubled and don't let them be afraid. This is a promise from Jesus in this tough time, just like those Old Testament promises we looked at earlier. This is God showing up in a difficult, tough time, making beautiful, wonderful, powerful promises and here He promises the Holy Spirit. He says: If you love Me you will keep My commandments and I will ask Dad and He will give you another one; another advocate. "If you love Me ..." Is He looking for perfection? No! Jesus knows we are not perfect but He is saying if you live your life for Me – if you really love Me, the things that I have taught you, the things that you have heard, the things that I've said are really important – My wisdom, love your enemy, love your neighbour, don't judge other people – all that stuff, He says if you will do that, I'll ask Dad and He will send you another counsellor. Now if you have a Bible, this word is translated in different ways – Counsellor or Advocate or Comforter "like Me". In fact, the words that Jesus uses there mean "just like Me" – another one "just like Me". So all of a sudden we know something about this Holy Spirit that He is promising. The Holy Spirit is just like Jesus. Ever wondered what the Holy Spirit is like because when we say, "God the Father", we go, "Well, I can imagine what a good dad is?" We haven't all had good dads but we can all imagine what a good father is like and so we look at God as "Father" and we go, "Yep, I get that bit." "God the Son", well, we understand sonship and we understand Jesus because we can pick up at least four books in the Bible – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the Gospels – and read exactly what He was like and how He behaved and how He reacted and what He said. But kind of getting your mind and your heart around the Holy Spirit is ... it's a whole bunch more difficult isn't it? And here Jesus tells us what the Holy Spirit is like – He is just like Jesus. In the Old Testament, remember we read earlier, the promise in Joel: I will pour out My Spirit on everyone. And Jesus is saying, "It's about to happen folks!" God is God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – we don't understand that fully – three persons, one God and Jesus is saying, "It's about to happen, guys. I know I'm going to be crucified but sometime real soon I'm going to follow-up on My promise to pour out My Spirit and I'm going to pour My Spirit out on you and if you love Me, if you believe in Me, I will come and make My home in You. I'm in Dad and you will be in Me and Dad and I will come and make our homes in you." Let's look at it again: This Spirit of truth whom the world can't receive because they don't know Him and they don't see Him but you do – you know Him because He abides with you. See, "abides" is such a strong word – it doesn't mean "shack up", it doesn't mean "visit", it doesn't mean "have a cup of coffee together", it means "to be with us forever" and that's what Jesus said: I will give you another advocate to be with you forever. And we will come and make our home with you. If you love Me and keep My Word, My Dad will love you and He and I, through the Holy Spirit, will make our home with you." Up until then, the presence of God had been understood to be inside the temple in Jerusalem, in the Holy of Holies and no one could come close to God and here in Jesus, God comes close to us. And Jesus says, "It gets better than this – we are about to get much closer because when I pour My Spirit out, I will be dwelling with you and living in you." In fact, He goes on to say, in John chapter 16: It's to your advantage that I go away because if I don't go away I won't be pouring My Spirit out on you and having My Spirit is so much better. What an amazing plan Jesus has for us! What an awesome plan to pour out His Spirit and we will pick up and look at that plan just a little bit more next.   Jesus Comes Home Well, God does have an amazing plan for us to have a relationship with Him that is intimate and real and here and now. I remember talking to a young man at a church I was at a few years ago – I was running an ALPHA course, which is a course to introduce people to Jesus and what Christianity is all about. And this man was a young Jewish lawyer by the name of David and we were talking about the Holy Spirit – we were talking about exactly this passage that we've just read. It says: I will come and make My home in you. My Spirit will abide with you forever. And I was explaining it is kind of like God moves in. God moves into our lives, into our hearts and into our spirits and into our souls and He is with us every second of every minute of every hour of every day for the rest of eternity. And this young lawyer said 'Woe, that's a bit of an invasion of privacy isn't it?' I guess it is … I guess it is when a man a woman gets married, you know, all of a sudden there in each other's space and they are in each other's lives and they share the same bed and they share every room in the house. It is kind of an invasion of privacy but it's God's plan. Not for religion, not for rules: If you love Me you will keep My commandments and I will come and make My home in you. I will love you, I will show Myself to you. It says here in this passage we have just been reading. When Jesus said: It is to your advantage that I go away so that I can send you the Holy Spirit. What He was meaning was this: Jesus was God in the flesh and being a man He had a physical limitation – He could only be in one place at one time but the Holy Spirit doesn't have that problem. The Holy Spirit … God the Spirit can be in me and in you and in a trillion other people at exactly the same time. The Holy Spirit is God with me and God with you, 24/7. And when Judas asks the question in verse 22 of chapter 14, when he says: Lord how is it that You reveal Yourself to us and not to the world? That is a good question. Jesus answer is: I will make My home with you. I will abide with you. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit will be on your journey with you. Not in a church, not in a building, not in a temple, not in an air-conditioned heaven, I'll be on the journey with you through thick, through thin, through up, through down, through plenty, through not enough, through fire, through storm, Jesus is in that place with us. But this isn't for everyone; this isn't for the world; this isn't for people who say, "Well, you know something, I'm going to live my life my way and Jesus can be my little lap dog; my little puppy who does tricks and helps me when I need Him to." No, this is on God's terms – God is God. If you love Me you will keep My commandments and I will ask Dad and He will give you another advocate just like Me to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot accept. If we want to race off and live our lives contrary to God's will, Jesus is saying "I'm sorry, but this isn't for you. I want to give you My Spirit, I want to move in, I want to dwell with you, I want you to see Me, I want to reveal Myself to you through the Spirit of God, but you know something, it's on God's terms because God is God. And sometimes we think, "Well, what will that mean? What will I have to do?" And we think, "Well, that's God's problem; God will teach us, God will show us when we invite Him in." And that's exactly what Jesus says. Pick it up in chapter 14, verse 25: I have said these things to you while I am still with you but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you. What a great plan! What an awesome plan! It's so scary sometimes to contemplate this Person, the Holy Spirit and think what's it going to mean? What do I have to give up? And all the time what the Spirit brings is joy and peace and an intimate relationship with God that we can't even begin to imagine until He does that work in us. And when He does that, He changes us. We get addicted to His joy. I'm addicted to the peace that the Holy Spirit brings. That's why I spend time with God; that's why I do what I do. I just love Him and when we do that somehow He changes us. You know those things that you've been trying to change in yourself all your life – I have them too. When we draw close to Him, that flame burns and somehow, all that rubbish just burns away, day-by-day, week-by-week, year-by-year. So it's not a self-help programme, its God changing us. For me when I accepted Jesus I did it holus-bolus. Like the disciples, it was a time of loss and fear and loneliness for me eleven years ago. When I accepted Him the pain didn't go away straight away – I still had ups and downs – but God blessed me so greatly with a beautiful wife and daily I live in His presence and day after day after day He is changing me and touching me and guiding me and moulding me and it's the Holy Spirit … God the Holy Spirit in me. And God the Holy Spirit in you who wants to do this; who wants to show us Jesus and tell us how wonderful He is. This is what Jesus says in chapter 16, beginning at verse 14 about the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit will glorify Me because He will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine and for this reason I said to you that He will take what is mine and declare it to you. The plan of God is to pour His abundant love, everything He is and everything He has and all His love and His peace and His joy – His plan is to pour that into your life and my life through the Holy Spirit. Father, I pray that as we have been in Your Word today Your Spirit would stir us up – You would give us a hunger and a thirst and a desire to be filled with Your Holy Spirit and I pray Father God in Jesus name, that You would do exactly that. 

Holy Mass is not just a ritual. It is not a routine. It is the Sacrifice of Calvary made present before your very eyes. In this homily, Fr. Dom breaks open the truth of the Mass with fire, clarity, and conviction. He reminds us that the Eucharist is heaven on earth, the most powerful prayer, and absolutely necessary for salvation.If you have ever drifted through Mass without purpose or conviction, this episode will shake you awake. Drawing from the wisdom of the saints, Church Fathers, and Sacred Scripture, Fr. Dom calls men to approach the altar with humility, reverence, and hunger for the living God. He challenges every man to return to Mass not as a spectator but as a soldier stepping onto the battlefield of Calvary.You will learn:Why the Mass is the same sacrifice as Jesus' death on the Cross—offered in a sacramental, unbloody way.How venial sins can be forgiven in the Mass and when to call them to mind.Why the Third Commandment (“Keep holy the Sabbath”) is the most broken commandment today—and how to fix it.How to prepare properly for Mass: through repentance, reading Scripture, and interior silence.What the saints taught about the unfathomable value of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.Why humility, not pride, makes our prayers powerful and pleasing to God.Fr. Dom reminds us: “If the Mass were man-made, we'd be fools to be here. But it's not. It's a gift from the Father who loves us.”The Challenge: This week, go to daily Mass at least once. Prepare before you enter. Read the readings. Call to mind your sins. Offer your week, your struggles, and your family at the Offertory. Listen intently to the prayers of the priest. Then receive the Eucharist with devotion and gratitude. This is your lifeline. This is your weapon.Three Powerful Quotes from the Homily:“The celebration of Holy Mass has the same value as the death of Jesus on the Cross.” — St. Thomas Aquinas“If we knew the value of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, how much greater effort we would put forth to attend it.” — St. John Vianney“The Mass is where heaven meets earth. This is the Holy of Holies.” — Fr. Dominic CouturierKey Takeaway for Men: The Mass is not optional—it's the foundation of a man's spiritual life and the weapon that protects his soul and family from evil. Every Catholic man must anchor his life around the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, where Christ gives Himself completely so that we may have the strength to finish the race and fight the good fight.Send us a text Support the showPlease prayerfully consider supporting the podcast on our Buy Me A Coffee page. to help grow the show to reach as many men as possible! Thank you for your prayers and support. Be sure to follow us on X for more great content. As always, please pray for us! We are men who strive daily to be holy, to become saints and we cannot do that without the help of the Holy Ghost! Subscribe to our YouTube page to see our manly and holy faces Check out our website Contact us at themanlycatholic@gmail.com

At Jesus' Crucifixion and Death, the “Temple Veil” Was Torn; After Jesus Easter Resurrection, You Now Pray Directly with God MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Think about the magnitude of your direct and personal access to God that your prayers give you, through Jesus, if you will only pray. Before Jesus, ordinary people did not have direct access to God, through the Throne Room of God, with a direct personal relationship with God. In Old Testament times, people would come to the priests; and the priest would offer up a sacrifice on behalf of the people. The priests, and not the people, were communing directly with God. On Good Friday and at Jesus death on the cross, the “Temple Veil” was torn from top to bottom (i.e. “Temple Vail” was a large, very thick, and very heavy barrier that divided that portion of the Temple accessible by those wishing to sacrifice for prayer and the “Holy of Holies” where the only the High Priest could meet with God and pray on behalf of the people of God.). At Jesus Resurrection, no longer was an intermediary (e.g., a Priest) required for direct prayer with God by the people in Christ (i.e. Jesus Followers).  Because Jesus created a New Covenant relationship with His followers, now your prayers are in direct communion with God, the Creator of the Universe. Everyone, who is in Christ, may have access to the Throne Room of God in the name of Jesus. What a privilege this direct access to God is for those who are in Christ. The author of Hebrews, in Hebrews 4:16, tells Jesus Followers that, because of the Gospel, you have direct access to God's “throne of Grace” for your needs: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.".   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD'S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Philippians 4:1-13; John 15:9-10; Revelation 4:1-2; Psalms 69c:25-36. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Interior Life – Maintenance of the Inner Man -- Part 7: A Listening Spirit” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

A new MP3 sermon from Grace Audio Treasures is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The "Holy of Holies" of Scripture Subtitle: Puritan Devotional Speaker: C. H. Spurgeon Broadcaster: Grace Audio Treasures Event: Devotional Date: 10/22/2025 Bible: Song of Solomon 1:2-4; Song of Solomon 5:16 Length: 5 min.

LESSON 68 PART 1 In part 1 we consider verses 1-5 of chapter 28 and it seems that these testify of Adoneinu Yeshua HaMaschiach, our Lord Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Christ.  For one thing Aaron, whose Heavenly Father is the God of Abraham, was the High priest and his sons, also sons of their Father, the God of Abraham, the first priests to serve with their dad.  But, what about us?  Jesus, the Son of the Father, is the High Priest of a heavenly priesthood, and us, adopted "sons of the Father" and priests, a royal priesthood as we see in 1 Pete. 2:9.  Aaron and his sons are priests of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the one and only Almighty God.  And us.  We with our Lord Jesus are sons of the Father and are priests of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the one and only Almighty God.  So amazing.  And there's more.  So much more. We will study the fact that special clothes are required to be a priest.  Aaron has special clothes that are holy and made for glory and are to be beautiful.  They must be worn when the minister in the Holy of Holies.  But, we are priests.  Is God telling us that we too should be cognizant of how we dress we we come to worship Him and praise Him and as a congregation lift up our reverence and honor to the Lord?  Perhaps.  It seems possible that God is concerned with not only the status of our hearts (our internal status of righteousness) but also the way we manifest ourselves in worship services (our external appearance) in church.  We'll see how many in the church today misinterpret verses to support dressing down and even sloppy to church.  This entire lesson has to do with being disciples of Yeshua.  You just read one connection above.  Aaron is High Priest and his sons are priest and they have a Father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  And we are disciples of Rabbi Yeshua.  Thus we are to be like HIM.  He is the Son of the Father as well as us and Jesus is the High Priest and we are priests of the High priest all sons of the Father.  This is one connection in verses 1-5 of Exodus 28.  There's more and one needs to really understand what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus.  If we do then so much of what is presented will be more understandable and it will expand and enhance your understanding. I highly recommend you also access the lessons of Ray Vander Laan – a proven and credible Bible scholar and teacher - at his website http://www.ThattheWorldMayKnow.com.  I will link you to his article on the Rabbis and Talmideem (Rabbis and Disciples).  I thank Ray so much for being my teacher and being the one who has inspired me to study this concept in a deeper and more expansive way.  Also, at his website, click LEARN and look up his AUDIO lessons and rabbis and disciples.  You will not be disappointed.  Here's links to key places on Ray's website and the article on Rabbi and Talmidim (a must read) https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/rabbi-and-talmidim Audio lessons (listen to all audio with the word disciple or rabbi or talmid) https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/category/Audio Recently Ray Vander Laan did an extensive video Bible study series on Rabbi and Disciples.  It is available for purchase with leader guides and many notes.  Again, Ray will teach the Bible in its historical context and teach us what a disciple is the way Jesus meant it.  Check out the link below.  This is a Bible study you need to do at your church.  You'll also find at least one free session you can preview when you access the link.  Here it is … https://store.focusonthefamily.com/rvl-discipleship?srsltid=AfmBOoqYpL_2JKlZdp6V8owxJOpMlAd9AyKz7o1047KP0sU--Rc1P-f8 Another key aspect to the Holy Place was the Menorah.  In the Jewish culture of Yeshua's day and before, the Menorah was looked upon in several ways.  Dr. John D. Garr, Ph.D., Th.D Founder, Restoration Foundation, wrote an article that gets at the Jewish roots of our faith so we can understand the Menorah the way they did then.  And again, the Menorah seems to also represent Jesus and us since He said He is the Light of the World and so are we.  This is an article you don't want to miss.  Here's the link - https://archive.bridgesforpeace.com/letter/gods-lamp-mans-light-mysteries-of-the-menorah/ Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  ( Ferret - teaching in a wadi somewhere in the Negev) What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link -click here for the teacher's background      

Hosts Pastor Robert Baltodano and Pastor Lloyd Pulley Question Timestamps: Corné, email (2:21) - Was the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies while Jesus was in the temple? If not, where was the Ark? Camille, Facebook (5:27) - Was Mary just a surrogate mother to Jesus, or were her chromosomes used for him? Rich, email (6:32) - Is the account in Matthew 7:24-27 literal? Debra, email (11:12) - Am I in sin for going to my old Methodist church? Blake, FL (16:18) - How will it be possible for people to be saved during the Tribulation if the Holy Spirit is no longer on Earth? Curtis, MA (18:27) - What about the "sparkle creed?" Nicholas, NY (25:43, continued after break at 33:26) - How does Titus 2:14 relate to "Mary was full of grace?" Judi, TX (37:08) - Why do people support the death penalty when they are against abortion? Francisco, NJ (45:38) - How can I explain why we don't have dinosaurs to my friends that believe in evolution? Tracy, PA (49:59) - How should I respond to my friend that says women can be pastors based on Paul and the Ephesian church? Ask Your Question: 888-712-7434 Answers@bbtlive.org

Go with Pastor Steve Alexander in Hebrews speaking of the Believer's Access through the Holy of Holies.

In last week's kickoff to our new series Collide, we learned about the layout of the Tabernacle -- the Outer Courts (for the general public), the Inner Courts (for priests only), and the Holy of Holies (only for the one High Priest).  Today, our service will be a little different than usual.  Instead of all the music at the beginning of the service, we will only have one song (a new one, don't miss it!) and then a very short sermon from Pastor Matt.  After that, the congregation will split and walk through various "stations" with elements representing the Lampstand, the Table of Showbread, and the Altar of Incense, so you get a sense of what worship was like in the Tabernacle.  

We experience the Holy of Holies, and the congregation will be divided up to visit the three different stations to see how the ancient priests worshipped in the most holy place. Join us to learn more of this holy tradition that was originally only meant for the highest priest.  

Today we return to our Collide series with the final sermon "Holy of Holies."  This refers to the central room of the tabernacle.  Not even all the priests could enter here; this room was reserved only for the high priest, and even he could only enter once per year.  Being in this room meant being directly in the presence of God.  But now, WE have access to be in God's presence, because of Jesus' sacrifice -- how?  Through praise.  

Sometimes, to be honest, life can feel really dry. You look out across the landscape of your life and all you can see is dry bones. You know there's more out there, but right now you just can't see how it'll ever feel “alive” again.   Valley of Dry Bones Have you ever noticed that some people seem to go on with God in a really powerful and exciting way and other people who say, "well I'm a Christian"; I don't know, they tend to be, if I can use the term "puced", as you know, some people just don't seem to be living out the joy and the power and the victory that a Christian life should represent. I wonder why that is? Well ... Jesus called us to go and make disciples; He called us to be disciples, not just believers. I think there is a distinction; a difference. A disciple, well, there's something resolute, there's something firm in their direction, they have a sense of where God is taking them and they're radical believers with their lives, in who Jesus is and what Jesus says. So they "hear" the Word of God but they also "do" the Word of God. Someone who's a believer and yet not a disciple, well, that person can believe; that person can live the story of Christ intermittently, but there is a sense of floating, there's a sense of they're not really deeply committed to be followers of Jesus Christ. There's a wishy-washiness about just being a believer and not a disciple; being just a believer is like hearing but not doing and as I said, the Lord calls us to be His disciples. The Lord calls us to go on in strength and power and victory, to live an abundant and exciting and amazing life. I really get excited when I think about what God has called us to. Now I'm not saying that somehow, a disciple has it all together, but they're on the path, they are committed to the journey with the Lord, wherever He wants to take them. A believer has a sort of an intellectual ascent to the Word of God but they are so often controlled by feelings and circumstances and we know that feelings are fickle; we know that circumstances blow an ill-wind today and a good wind tomorrow. We can't predict circumstances – we can't rely entirely on our feelings. Jesus is about making disciples and not believers. That is why we are going through a series of teaching at the moment that I've called, “Taking God at His Word,” because it seems to me that someone who is committed to Christ, committed to walking the walk with Jesus, is someone who takes God at His Word. God has some amazing promises in His Word, the Bible. Last week we looked at the promise that He will take us just as we are. He will take us with all our weaknesses and frailties and even despite that we can come boldly before His throne of grace. If you have a Bible, let's go quickly back there because it's an awesome Scripture; in Hebrews chapter 4, verses 15 and 16, where it says this. We don't have a High Priest who's unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one, who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet was without sin. Let us therefore, approach the throne of grace with boldness so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. In other words, because Jesus knows what it is like; because He has walked in our shoes on this earth as a man, because of that He can sympathise with our circumstances and because of that, we should come boldly before the throne of grace. In other words God's having a party and it‘s come as you are. We don't have to get all dressed up; we don't have to get our lives sorted out to come before God. That's what happens when we have a relationship with Him, through Jesus Christ. Today we are going to get on with the next message, which is called, “Can these bones live?” Have you ever looked across at your life and thought, “My life is so dry, it shouldn't be like this, but as I survey the landscape of my life, it's like a valley of dry bones? It's like – can it ever get any better, can I ever have a real sense of vibrant abundant life that I know my relationship with Jesus should bring me?” We all get to that point at sometime. We all get to that stage where we think – my life is just so dry. How's that going to change? Well, it's time to take God at His Word. If you have a Bible, grab it and flip it open to Ezekiel chapter 37. Ezekiel is one of the books of the Old Testament and it comes just after Isaiah, Jeremiah and then the Book of Ezekiel. We are going to chapter 37 and we pick up the story of Israel here, when they have been in exile in Babylon for almost seventy years. This is about the third part of the Book of Ezekiel. The first couple of parts are oracles of judgement against Judah and all the other nations surrounding them but this passage that we're about to look at, at the beginning of Ezekiel chapter 37, is really early on in the third part and the third part of the book is the book of hope. It's about the restoration of Israel because as I said, at this point, Israel has been in exile in Babylon for almost seventy years. God made them a promise; God promised them when He brought them up out of Egypt – remember they spent almost four centuries in slavery in Egypt, after Joseph, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Joseph was a Jew who became Prime Minister of Egypt and so all the tribes of Israel thrived in Egypt and became so populous they were enslaved by Pharaoh and there they lived until they cried out and God heard their cry and sent Moses to bring them out of Egypt. But they lived four hundred years in Egypt and then went through the exodus of forty years through the desert and finally past into the Promised Land – the land of milk and honey, but they didn't stick with what God called them to do – they didn't obey God and God's promise was, “I'll bless you in your land if you obey me but if you don't, you'll lose your land.” And sure enough, Babylon rose up against them and in 586/587BC, the Babylonian empire over-ran Jerusalem; burnt it, destroyed it, killed a lot of people and took the rest of them into slavery in exile in Babylon. And so these people were thinking, “Woe, what about God's promises? The temple's been destroyed – that's where God lives. Now we're exiled and Jerusalem is raised to the ground, what about God's promises?” So there's a sense of hopelessness and despair after generations. Living again, in exile in another country, in Babylon and this is what God says into that situation. It's got powerful implications for us today, but let's just see what happens. Ezekiel was taken by God – have a listen. Chapter 37 beginning verses 1 and 2. Ezekiel says this: The hand of the Lord came upon me and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley – it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley and they were very dry. And here's this valley full of dry, dead bones. Ezekiel was a priest and he knew the importance of burial. I mean these bones weren't buried and the reason it happen is they had a treaty with God and they disobeyed God and so the armies of Israel were killed and bodies were left to wild animals and it was God's punishment. You can read about it – we won't go there now but in Deuteronomy chapter 28, verses 25 and 26, it explicitly predicts that if Israel doesn't obey God this will happen – their armies will be destroyed. We find out later in this passage, in verse 11, that these are the bones of the House of Israel. But what about your house? What about your dry bones? What about the relationships and the sin and the wallowing and the drifting that we sometimes experience in our Christian walk? Sometimes we don't even know why it is. The thing that God does here is He shows Ezekiel the dry bones, He walks him around. He says, “Get a grip on reality.” Well maybe He's talking to us today – “Get a grip on reality! What are the dry bones in our lives; the things that are coming to ruin our walk and our relationship with God and the wonderful life that God has planned for us; the dead stuff? What are the dry bones? We are going to look at what God does with the dry bones next.   Life in His Word Ok, so we're living life and we feel that it's like this valley of dry bones that Ezekiel is talking about here. Well, what does God do with those dry bones? Let's pick it up in verse 3 of chapter 37. God says to Ezekiel: "Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “Lord God, you know.” Then He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, “Oh, dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones, “I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live, I will lay sinews on you and will cause flesh to come upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you and you shall live and you shall know that I am the Lord you God.” So this is the first recorded tennis match in the Bible. God serves up and says to Ezekiel, “Can these bones live,” and Ezekiel returns the ball across the net and says, “Well, God, it's really up to you.” I mean, they're dead, they're dry, it's devastated, it's hopeless, they're crunching around together,” God and Ezekiel in this death valley and the truth is that it looks impossible to Ezekiel, but he daren't say that. Well, let's come back to our valley of dry bones; the broken relationships, the persistent sin, the dryness, the drudgery and God asks you or God asks me, “Can these bones live?” How do we answer that? I think we return that to God and say, “Lord, Lord you know.” Israel was in a hopeless situation, the world power of the day, Babylon, had them in slavery, they were spiritually and emotionally and morally and nationally bankrupt. They didn't know whether God would ever do anything to save them. They didn't even know if God had the power to do that. Well what does God do? He returns it back to Ezekiel. He says: "Ezekiel, prophesy; speak over these bones." What does He return; does He return love or grace or touchy feely or mushy? No, He returns with the Word of God, because the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword. He says: Ezekiel, prophesy; speak my Word over these bones. Say to them, “Thus says the Lord God, “I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live and I will lay sinews on you and I will cause flesh to come upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you and you will live and you will know that I am the Lord your God.” God's Word is powerful and mighty. God spoke creation into existence, He said: Let there be light. God calls things into existence that don't yet exist. You can read that in Romans chapter 4 verse 17. Well, what happens? Let's have a read – verse 7. So Ezekiel writes: I prophesied as I was commanded to and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked and there were sinews on them and flesh had come up on them and skin had covered them, but there wasn't any breath in them yet. Surprise! Surprise! God said, “Speak my Word over this impossible situation,” so Ezekiel did and through God's Word, in this vision that Ezekiel had, the bones came together. They had sinew, they had flesh, they had life; no breath yet, but they had life. God's Word is spoken and the dry bones become flesh and blood. Our problem, our circumstances, our feelings – when we get hungry in our situation, our valley of dry bones – where do we go? Do we go and feed on the world's wisdom? Do we go and feed on our friend's wisdom? Do we pick up the phone and have a whinge to a friend, or do we come to God's Word and listen to what He has to say about our lives and His plan for our lives and then do we take Him at His Word? Jesus spent forty days and nights in the desert; He was hungry, He was famished, He was thirsty and when the devil tries to tempt Him in His valley of dry bones, this is what He says. He says, “Man doesn't live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Come on! Where do we go? We can have a junk food diet of TV shows and movies and women's magazine and gossip, but how much time do we spend on those things compared to time in the Word. We are what we eat. We go to a Sunday sermon, we listen to it once, we don't take any notes and we think, “Well why am I not growing?” Come on; let's get into God's Word however we can. There's power in God's Word. Jesus said: If you continue in my Word, you are truly my disciples. You see, He links God's Word to discipleship. If you continue in my Word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free. We quote the second half of that normally. We say – the truth will set us free. No, no. Jesus said: If you are my disciples you'll be in my Word and my Word will be in you and you will continue in it and you will know the truth and by knowing the truth you will be set free. A disciple is someone who delights in God's Word; who radically believes it, who does it. Paul writes in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 17, about the sword of the Spirit being the Word of God. It's an offensive weapon against Satan. It's in the Word of God that we stand firm and it is the Word of God that changes things in our lives. That's why we need to take God at His Word. We'll see how this story with Ezekiel and Israel finishes up next. But Wait – There's More Well, how does this story end up? We've been looking at how God takes Ezekiel out to look at this valley of dry bones, that represents where Israel is spiritually and emotionally and nationally towards the end of their exile, which really was a consequence of their sin; it was a consequence of them breaking their covenant and their promise with God. Well, we saw that Ezekiel spoke God's Word over these dry bones and just as God had said, when His Word was spoken, all of a sudden flesh came on them, all of a sudden sinew came on them and all of the bones came together. That happened! But look at the end of verse 8 of Ezekiel, chapter 37. It says: I looked and there was sinews and flesh and skin had covered them but there was no breath in them. Now let's read on in verses 9 and 10. Then God said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy Mortal and say to the breath, “Thus says the Lord God, come from the four winds, oh breath, and breathe upon the slain, that they may live,” and I prophesied as He commanded and the breath came into them and they lived and stood on their feet – a vast multitude. Wow! You see, God's Word had been spoken and that gave the power to bring all the bones together, but they yet didn't have breath. And the Hebrew word for breath is "ruwach", which means a rushing wind and it's the same word as is used for the Spirit. So when we are talking about the rushing wind, this is a symbol and a picture of the Spirit of God – it's not just the Word of God – we need the Spirit of God too, which brings life and they stood up and they stood as a vast multitude. Paul encourages us in Hebrews chapter 5 verse 18, to go on being "filled with the Spirit". There are so many people who say, “Well I'm in God's Word, you know, I believe in God's Word,” and yet they go to the Word without the Spirit. They go to God's Word and read it in their own strength, instead of saying, “God fill me with your Holy Spirit, fill me every day. I want to overflow with your Spirit.” And when we see God's Word; the power of God's Word and the life that the Spirit brings, all of a sudden we see here that these bones in the valley, they come to life, through the "ruwach", through the Spirit of God. Now we might come up with a wimpy response that says, “Well, you know, I've tried that but I'm so dry and the Spirit never touches me and ah …” Have a look with me quickly in Luke chapter 11 verse 9 – this is a really well known passage where Jesus says: I say to you, ask and it will be given you, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you, because everyone who asks receives, everyone who searches finds, for everyone who knocks the door is opened. Is there any among you if your child asks for a fish that you'll give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for bread, you'll give them a scorpion instead? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more ... Listen to this: ... how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? Jesus said, “knock, persist, ask and you will receive. And when our hearts are fit to break, to be filled by the Spirit of God and we ask and we plead and we say, “Lord I'm not going to settle until I am so full with your Spirit that I'm overflowing; that streams of living water are running out of me.” When we are so desirous of that, God promises that He will fill us with His Spirit. A.W. Tozer wrote this, he put it this way. He said: Ransomed men need no longer pause in fear to enter the Holy of Holies. God wills that we should push into His presence and live our whole lives there. This is to be known to us in conscious experience. It is more than a doctrine to be held, it is a life to be enjoyed every moment of every day. God's Word has the power – God's Spirit brings the life. Why does God work this way? What's God doing? Why does He allow sin and Satan and why does He allow our lives to go through dry bones? Why do we have to go through this stuff? Well, He answers that at the end of our passage that we are looking at, Ezekiel chapter 37 beginning at verse 11. Then God said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel.” So God interprets this vision for Ezekiel. These bones are the whole House of Israel. They say our bones are dried up and our hope is lost and we are cut off completely, therefore, prophesy and say to them, “Thus says the Lord your God, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from your graves, oh my people, and I will bring you back to the land of Israel and you will know that I am the Lord God when I open your graves and bring you up from your graves. My people, I will put my Spirit within you and you shall live. I will place you on your own soil and then you will know that I, the Lord your God, have spoken and will act, says the Lord God." Why does He allow this? So that He can bless us; so that we can receive redemption and life and renewal. Not through our own strength, but when God breathes His Spirit into us; when we believe His Word – when we take God at His Word. That valley of dry bones was a picture of Israel and God said to Ezekiel: Go and tell them. Speak my Word over them and this is what I will do. Those dry bones – those dry bones are our circumstances, our sin, our lives lost, our opportunities missed. Let God show us the reality when we accept the power of His Word, when we accept Him at His Word and we accept His Holy Spirit which is life. God's having a party – it's come as you are, but let's believe His Word. God calls things that aren't as though they are. God brings life when He gives us His Word to speak over our life and when He pours His Spirit out over our lives. The question is will you take God at His Word?

Jesus goes through the veil to the Ultimate Holy of Holies. This is what Yom Kippur points to.

Have you ever thought to yourself – “Well, things are a bit of a mess. I've made a hash of this or that and before I go to God with this, I'd better sort it out”? Well, we all do that sometimes. But it turns out that God's having a party – and it's come as you are.   The Faces we Wear God promises that when we place our faith in Jesus Christ, that He will give us an abundant life, abundant blessing; an eternal life, a life that we can't even begin to imagine. Do you ever look at that sometimes and think, “It's just too good to be true?” Yet some people seem to live with an amazing confidence in the blessing of God and others don't, and the difference, I think, is that sometimes we don't take God at His Word. That's why this week we are starting a brand new, four part series, called exactly that, “Taking God at His Word.” We can see our circumstances, we can see the physical things around us but with our eyes we can't see the spiritual dimension; we can't see the ‘God' dimension and quite often, we look at our physical circumstances and say, “Well, God couldn't possibly take my life and my circumstances and my failures and bless me in the middle of that.” But God means to do exactly that; His Word is full of promises that He wants to bless us – He wants to bless you, He wants to bless me. So today we are going to begin by looking at some of those promises, in particular the promises He makes about the relationship between Him and us. Relationships are a funny and complex thing. How well we know one another influences how much of ourselves we expose to one another. Someone that we don't know very well, someone that we have a shallow relationship with, we're not going to talk to them about the deepest, most meaningful things in our lives. And someone that we do know really well and don't like, who hurts us, well, we are going to be guarded with them. Hopefully a relationship between a husband and wife is really open and frank but even there, there can be barriers. We all have different masks or faces for different occasions. I know I do - a professional face that I put on and a personal the face. The face that we put on in a passing relationship verses one that we wear in a permanent relationship. And even though I tend to be a very open and forthright and direct person, still, we all do it, don't we? We have different faces for different people, different faces for different situations. We guard who we are depending on the person we are having the relationship with. Those different faces that we wear are, in effect, different levels of permission and openness for different situations or people and it's a deeply ingrained pattern of behaviour. So, what face do you and I wear when we come before God? Is it a face that says, “Well, God, I'm just not good enough for you, so I'd better protect myself from your glory and your goodness”? Is it a face that says “God's promises, they sound too good, well maybe they're for that person, or that person, but they're not for me”? Is it a face that says, “I'd better sort these things out in my life before I go to God”? What face do you and I wear when we come before God? It's an important question - how do I approach God? Because how can we enter into God's blessing if we don't even know how to enter into God's presence? We are going to go to a passage in the Book of Hebrews. If you have a Bible, grab it and open it up at Hebrews, Chapter 4. It's a strange little book – it's less of a letter to a specific group and more of a general tract. "To the Hebrews" was probably added later on. We don't know who wrote it, although, judging from its style, it wasn't any of the other authors of the New Testament. And the basic thrust of the Book of Hebrews is to contrast the old covenant, the old promise, under the Jewish Mosaic law, with the new covenant, the new promise of God of grace and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ. And it shows how much this new promise is so much better than the old promise. Our passage does that. Let's have a look at it – we're going to read it. Hebrews, Chapter 4, verses 14 to 16. It says this: Since then we have a great High Priest who passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession because we don't have a High Priest who's unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet was without sin. Let us therefore, approach the throne of grace with boldness so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. It centers on the fact that Jesus being our High Priest understands our situation because He has walked in our shoes. This passage comes in the context of God's rest. God plans to bless us by giving us rest, by giving us peace, by giving us joy, by setting us free from all the things in the world that would tear away at us – emotionally and spiritually. And He says, “Look, Jesus is your High Priest and it's your High priest that brings you rest.” Look at verse 10. For those who enter God's rest, also cease from their labours as God did from His. The point is, that one of God's promises is to give us rest and this picture of the High Priest goes right back to the Old Testament, Leviticus Chapter 16. If you have a Bible, flick back and have a look at Leviticus Chapter 16, the first five verses, which we won't read right now, talk about the way in which sins were forgiven on the day of atonement and the priest went into the Holy of Holies of the temple and gave blood sacrifices over the alter. But look specifically at verse 17. No one shall be in the tent of the meeting from the time that the High Priest enters to make atonement in the sanctuary until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for the assembly of Israel. No one else can be in the tabernacle when atonement was being made for Israel. Then over the page to verses 29 and 30. You shall deny yourselves on that day, you shall do no work; neither the citizen nor the alien who resides among you. From this day atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you from your sins. It is a Sabbath day of complete rest to you. So God's plan in making atonement for our sins, in opening the door to a relationship with Him, is complete rest for us. Jesus was the High Priest, Jesus was the mercy seat, Jesus was the lamb whose blood was sprinkled in the sanctuary. That's the old covenant. That was then, now we are going to have look at the new covenant – the covenant, the promise, the plan that God has for us which is so much better than that.   God's Party We are looking at God's promises. Sometimes we struggle to take God at His Word and God has a promise of relationship and rest and peace for us. We're specifically looking at what He says in Hebrews Chapter 4 verses 14 to 16 which talks about Jesus being our High Priest. Under the new covenant, Jesus is the one, the great High Priest who not only went into the sanctuary to make atonement for our sins so that we can be forgiven, to pay for our sins. But He also passed into the heavens, and He also walked on this earth and He relates to us and understands that, He's able, look at verse 15, He's able to sympathise with our weaknesses. Not just our sin, but the realities of life here on earth. Jesus, you may get upset with me for saying this, but listen, Jesus went to the toilet, He became tired and frustrated, He felt crowded in, He knew the pressures of a busy schedule, He knew the deep pain of sacrifice – our High Priest, the one who was there when we weren't, so that our sins could be forgiven. Our High Priest isn't some ecclesiastical elitist, He's a pauper, He's one of us, someone who walked in our shoes, He knows our frame, He remembers that we are dust. Not just because He's God, but because He walked as one of us. “Let us therefore,” says Hebrews, “approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive the mercy and find the grace to help in time of need.” Therefore, why? Because Jesus wasn't just the High Priest, Jesus was a pauper; Jesus was an ordinary person just like you and me, with all the pressures, all the temptations, all the hassles of life. Isn't that exciting, isn't that wonderful? A few years ago I had occasion to visit the Head of State of Australia. In Australia he is called the Governor General, his name was Sir William Dean, at the time and this place, Government House, where he lives, is steeped in history. We drove up the driveway - the driveway that kings and queens and presidents and prime ministers have come and gone on, and the place was full of the trappings of power. You know, I played to that – I had a crisply ironed shirt on and I drove up the driveway in a dark coloured car that I had and there was a big bird plop on the front and I thought, “I wished I'd washed my car, I hope I look acceptable, am I good enough?” – but when I met the man, Sir William Dean, the Governor General of this country, what I discovered was this kind, gentle man who was one of us. He was disarming in his humility and his kindness. He wasn't affected by his position or his status. He showed me around the art collection in Government House and his office and his wife's office and he set me at ease – we had a cup of tea, he was just a wonderful human being. You expect someone in a position of power like that, to put themselves above us, in a sense. But he didn't do that at all, and in a sense, that's what Jesus is like. In a sense, He is God; He is the Son of God, yet He became one of us. He walked on this earth, He sacrificed His life for us and that's why we can approach the throne of grace with boldness. That's why we don't have to make sure our car is washed, we don't have to put on our Sunday best, we don't have to put on a "face" when we come before that throne of grace, because God is having a party and it's "come as you are". That is a wonderful message. Your car is dirty, things aren't quite right, you feel inadequate? Take God at His Word. “Let us therefore, approach the throne of grace with boldness” Why? Not because we're fantastic, not because our car's clean and our shirts are ironed and we're perfect? No! Because we have in Jesus a High Priest, who in every way has experienced life the way we do. He understands; He can sympathise with our reality and because of that, it says, “Approach the throne of grace,” with what? – With fear, with uncertainty, with timidity? No! Approach the throne of grace with boldness. Come on! You take God at His Word. Would you come with me before the throne of grace putting your faith, not in yourself but in what Jesus did for us on the cross and take God at His Word? Now the throne of grace is God's place, just like Government House was the Governor General's place. The throne of grace is God's place, it's about God's sovereignty and power and awesomeness. Government House is to me what the temple was to the Hebrews – the all powerful, all knowing God, who transcends all things, but is a God of grace. What an incredible juxtaposition of images. A throne which talks about power, of grace; not a throne of power; not a throne of judgement; not a throne of superiority. God is all those things but He calls His throne, the throne of grace. But what do we do? We focus on the throne, we want to put on our Sunday best, we want to sort ourselves out before we come to that place. Come on! How often do we have problems and think, “We have to sort them out before we go to God. We get to the driveway of that castle and we want to rush off – we want to wash the car, we want to iron our shirt." There's a beautiful picture in Luke 15 of the Prodigal Son, the son that deserted his father, spent all his money getting drunk and on prostitutes and he comes back feeling unworthy, saying, "Well, I'll ask dad if I can become a servant and dad runs out – dad was already waiting on the road, looking for him and he runs out." Let's have a look, reading verse 20 of Luke 15, which is where the story of the Prodigal Son is. So the son set off and went to his father but while the son was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion and ran out and put his arms around him. That's what the throne of grace looks like. The throne of grace is a mobile throne of grace. The throne of grace, when we take the smallest step towards God, comes running toward us, because Jesus understands. We need to stop looking at the castle and focus on the King, who became a pauper for us. We need to forget the trappings and look at God. We didn't receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but a spirit of adoption so that we can cry, “Abba Father, Dad.” When ever we think of that throne, the throne of grace, let us think of that waiting Father, when we take the smallest step towards Him, just as we are, He races out to greet us. He throws His arm around us; He doesn't condemn us. We are His children, not His slaves. Stop looking at the castle, focus on the King. So how should we approach the throne of grace?   The Mobile Throne So how should we approach the throne of grace? What does your translation say? Mine says, "with boldness" and the Greek word that sits behind our English translation – it comes from Greek philosophy - it means "public". This is presupposition of democracy – it means the right to say anything, a frankness and a candor. That same word is used again in Mark's Gospel, Chapter 8 and verse 32, telling of the death and resurrection of Jesus. It says this: Jesus said this quite openly and Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. Now that word "openly" is the same word as is used for "boldness" here in this passage in Hebrews. In other words it means "just as we are" – no faces, no masks, no fear, no pretending, no trying to dress ourselves up and get our clothes ironed and our car washed. No! God wants us to be frank and open, to tell it the way it is. There's a story in Mark's Gospel, Chapter 9 around verse 14 that tells about Jesus healing a young boy. Jesus has been just up on the Transfiguration Mount and He comes down and there's this young boy with demons and His disciples have been trying to cast out the demons and they can't and so the young boy's father pleads with Jesus and he says, “If you are able, have pity on us and help us,” and Jesus says, “What do you mean if you are able? All things can be done for the one who believes.” And immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe, help my unbelief.” There's this big crowd there and here's this man who said, “I believe to a point, I can't believe a hundred percent. I can just believe as much as I believe and as much as I believe, I believe in you.” And the boy was healed, the demons were cast out. Now that father didn't get a miracle because he had perfect faith. I don't have perfect faith. My faith is much stronger and much bigger than it was five years ago, but it's not perfect. God doesn't want perfect faith from us, God just wants us to take the faith that we have and place it in Him. Even faith is a gift from God. That father got a miracle because he was honest, he was direct and this son, who from birth was like this, was set free. Have you got a circumstance in your life that you think, “Well God can't possibly do anything with this because I have been like this for so long and besides I don't have the sort of faith that they're talking about?” Well here's a story, you don't need perfect faith. You just take the little bit of faith that we have and place it in Jesus and Jesus can and will do the most amazing things in our life because the effect of going before that throne of grace is to obtain mercy and grace in the time that we need it. That mercy is the outworking of how God sympathises with us because we don't have a High Priest who's unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who, in every respect has been tested as we are, yet was without sin. “Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness so that we may receive what? - The outworking of God's understanding, the outworking of His love and His sympathy, so that we may receive mercy and find grace, to help in time of need. That grace is free; that grace doesn't depend on our goodness and our perfection, it's there because we believe in Jesus. Come on! Will we take God at His Word? And to get help is the sense of help running towards us. It's that sense of the waiting father, right when we need it; right at the perfect time. Have you ever noticed how perfect God's timing always is? Just when we need something, God is there to help. Now this passage is saying you can trust in that, you can believe in that. If your faith is in Jesus, you can come before this throne of grace with boldness and just believe that God will help you. When you need stuff, when you need help, when there's something that you can't get through, come boldly before the throne of grace. Don't worry about the bird plop on the front of your car, don't worry about whether your clothes are ironed, don't worry about what we look like or how we've behaved or how big our faith is - that's not the point. The point is that we have a Saviour who can sympathise with us and calls us to come boldly before His throne of grace. In Jesus we have it all – King, High Priest, sacrifice, place of forgiveness – He's one of us, and because of who Jesus is, we can approach the throne of grace with openness, with a boldness, leaving the mask at the front door and just talking to Him the way it is. Focusing on the King and not the castle – on His empathy and understanding because of who Jesus is. Remember He is Abba, He is our Father, the waiting Father who will run to our aid. That throne of grace is mobile, that throne of grace is coming towards us. And some people think, “Oh I'm afraid to ask God for this, I'm afraid to ask God for that.” Maybe we have had anger or sin or failure or low self-esteem – will we let God help us with a special, well-timed, perfect touch of grace? Come on, will we take God at His Word and come boldly before the throne of grace. Not because of who we are, but because of who Jesus is and because in Christ, God understands and sympathises and wants to pour out His mercy and His grace on you and me. Come on! Will we take God at His Word?

By John Freeman - The Holy of Holies was a cube shaped room in the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and later in the Temples in Jerusalem. It was the inner room of the Holy Place. To get into it, one would have to enter the Tabernacle courtyard, pass the bronze altar, the bronze laver, enter the holy place, pass the

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement is what we'll continue learning about on Foundations today. It's the time of the year ?' the only day of the year ?' when the Jewish High Priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies in the Temple to make atonement for the sins of the people. It was also a time of self-denial and we'll learn about some of the requirements of the people during this sacred time. Your support sends the gospel to every corner of Australia through broadcast, online and print media: https://www.vision.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  The teaching completes the study of the seven feasts of the Lord, focusing on the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). Emphasis: these are God's feasts, not merely Israel's—they reveal His plan for the whole world. Christ fulfilled the spring feasts through His life, death, and resurrection; the fall feasts point to His return and final harvest. Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles Feast of Trumpets: The “alarm” call to repentance, beginning the 10 “Days of Awe.” Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur): High priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year to make atonement for Israel—foreshadowing Christ's ultimate sacrifice. Imagery: veil, bells and pomegranates on priest's robe, blood covering the mercy seat → fulfilled in Jesus' death and resurrection. Feast of Tabernacles: Commemoration of deliverance from Egypt, dwelling in booths, God's provision in the wilderness. Prophetic picture of final harvest and God “tabernacling” with His people in the future kingdom. Prophetic and End-Time Insights Tabernacles points to: Final Harvest: ingathering of nations (Revelation 14, Ezekiel 37). Protection and Provision: God shelters Israel in tribulation. Messiah's Reign: Christ dwelling with His people, fulfilling Ezekiel's promise. The Antichrist will desecrate the rebuilt temple mid-tribulation; Israel's eyes will be opened, leading to great tribulation. God will intervene, bringing judgment (wrath poured out in righteousness). Nations will be judged based on their stance toward Israel; blessing or cursing depends on alignment with God's covenant. Jerusalem in Prophecy Central focus: Jerusalem is the stumbling block for nations. Zechariah 14: God will defend Jerusalem, split the Mount of Olives, and establish His reign. Nations that resist worship during the Millennial Kingdom will face plagues and drought. The Feast of Tabernacles continues into the Millennium as a required festival for all nations. Application & Encouragement Believers must live ready for Christ's return—watching, not waiting for signs like the rebuilding of the temple before repenting. Call to repentance, intercession, and readiness: Repent like Israel's days of awe. Witness faithfully to the lost. Trust God's plan, even for loved ones not yet saved. Reminder: God loves the lost more than we do—Christ intercedes even now. Closing Notes Festivals reveal God's redemptive plan: past (fulfilled in Christ), present (salvation available now), and future (His return and reign). Encouragement: keep faith, pray for the lost, and be filled with hope as the end of the age approaches.  

B"H Yom Kippur is more than forgiveness, it's a fresh start. Moses brought down the second Tablets, the Kohen Gadol entered the Holy of Holies, and we're reminded that we can tap into our own inner holiness. ✨ This year, let's practice Positive Viddui, not only confessing what needs work, but celebrating the good we've already done. To watch Torah Thoughts in video format, click HERE Subscribe to the Torah Thoughts BLOG for exclusive written content! Please like, share and subscribe wherever you find this!

All Temples give God's blueprint for us as His ultimate Temples. Man fell into sin & lost God's Presence, but He's restoring us to be His Temples – He'll dwell within us & shine out of us forever. All the different Temples encode different aspects of His ultimate Temple, each providing a piece of the puzzle. We get the whole picture by putting together the revelation from them all. (1) Our SPIRIT = HOLY of HOLIES, (2) our SOUL = HOLY PLACE, (3) our BODY = OUTER COURT. We're made with His THRONE in our SPIRIT to live under His authority. When we receive Christ & He's enthroned within us, we discover our true identity, ability & personality, for His Spirit of grace flows from His throne to fill & transform our souls & empower us to do His will & be fruitful. Christ is the perfect human Temple; God was enthroned in His spirit and His Spirit filled His soul & flowed out of Him. But we were born spiritually dead, so His Spirit did not indwell us. Christ came to make us into true Temples, like Him. So, He died as our SIN OFFERING to take away our sins, and as our BURNT OFFERING to give us His perfect righteousness. Mercy Seat = ‘Place of Propitiation' where God's righteous judgment is fully satisfied by the Blood. He sees the Blood & declares us forgiven, so He's now free to bless us. Once the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat & accepted by God, Israel came under mercy for another year. But she had to repeat this ritual every year signifying man's sin wasn't yet put away (Heb 10:1-4). Christ accomplished this (Heb 10:5-10). So, Tabernacle rituals pictured what Christ would accomplish in establishing the New Covenant in His Blood in the Heavenly Temple, and activating it in His redeemed human Temples (Heb 9:7-12). As the High Priest, He offered Himself as the final Sacrifice and took His Blood into the heavenly Holy of Holies, and sprinkled it on God's Throne, the Mercy Seat, as full payment for our sin & every blessing of grace (Heb 4:16). His Blood in Heaven ever speaks on our behalf, and is the basis for the everlasting New Covenant (Heb 12:22-24). Having done this, He sat down to signify His finished work, and entered into His work as Mediator of the New Covenant for His people (Heb 1:3, 10:11-12, 9:23-26). The Heavenly Temple is an image of God's ultimate Temple (Man), so when we receive Christ, He also sprinkles us with His Blood & sanctifies us to Himself (1Pet 1:2, Heb 9:13-14). By His Spirit, He entered our holy of holies, and applied His Blood to our spirit, cleansing it from all sin & sanctifying it to Himself, making it a perfect new creation, and then sits enthroned there by His indwelling Spirit, to mediate the new covenant in our lives. This happened at our New Birth. He activated the New Covenant in us, so we're now under grace. We became a functioning Temple. Having sprinkled & cleansed us with His Blood (Heb 9:13-14), He now brings us into our inheritance (v15). It's a Throne of Grace, for the Lamb's Blood has been accepted by God on our behalf, and He sits at God's right hand dispensing His River of Grace to us (Rev 22:1-2). This also pictures us as Temples, with Christ enthroned as Lord in our spirit, releasing His river of grace from His throne in our spirit, flowing down into our heart & life. The trees = thoughts & emotions in our soul. As we trust in Christ who lives in us, and submit to His Lordship, we receive His river of blessing into our hearts. When God entered the Tabernacle, He sat in His glory, enthroned on the Mercy Seat above the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, and there He met with Moses & spoke with him (Ex 25:21-22). Likewise, He sits on the throne in our spirit, His base of operation in us. 3 items in the HOLY PLACE (Heb 9:1-4) = our SOUL: *(1) MENORAH = our MIND, illuminated by the oil of His Spirit. *(2) TABLE of SHOWBREAD (‘the Bread of the Presence') = our EMOTIONS, kept ever fresh from God's Presence, shining from the Holy of Holies. *(3) The ALTAR of INCENSE next to the Holy of Holies = our HEART or WILL, at the deepest part of our soul, called the Golden Censer (‘the Place of Incense') in Heb 9:4, where it's described as belonging to the holy of holies. Thus, our HEART is the junction & connection between our SPIRIT & SOUL, receiving God's life from the spirit, so that it flows into our soul (Heb 4:12, John 7:38). By God's design, the heart should be under the spirit's control, so a worshipping heart is necessary to receive God's grace into our souls. As we submit our hearts into God's Hand (the Holy Spirit), He can guide & empower us (Prov 21:1). To reign in life, put our heart into His Hand (His Spirit), who manifests in us as rivers of living water. In the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant containing 3 items, hidden under the Throne (under His control) = 3 aspects of God's grace, He wants to release into our soul by His Spirit: (1) the Tablets of the Covenant, (2) Aaron's Almond Rod that budded, and (3) the Golden Pot of Manna (Heb 9:3-5)

All Temples give God's blueprint for us as His ultimate Temples. Man fell into sin & lost God's Presence, but He's restoring us to be His Temples – He'll dwell within us & shine out of us forever. All the different Temples encode different aspects of His ultimate Temple, each providing a piece of the puzzle. We get the whole picture by putting together the revelation from them all. (1) Our SPIRIT = HOLY of HOLIES, (2) our SOUL = HOLY PLACE, (3) our BODY = OUTER COURT. We're made with His THRONE in our SPIRIT to live under His authority. When we receive Christ & He's enthroned within us, we discover our true identity, ability & personality, for His Spirit of grace flows from His throne to fill & transform our souls & empower us to do His will & be fruitful. Christ is the perfect human Temple; God was enthroned in His spirit and His Spirit filled His soul & flowed out of Him. But we were born spiritually dead, so His Spirit did not indwell us. Christ came to make us into true Temples, like Him. So, He died as our SIN OFFERING to take away our sins, and as our BURNT OFFERING to give us His perfect righteousness. Mercy Seat = ‘Place of Propitiation' where God's righteous judgment is fully satisfied by the Blood. He sees the Blood & declares us forgiven, so He's now free to bless us. Once the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat & accepted by God, Israel came under mercy for another year. But she had to repeat this ritual every year signifying man's sin wasn't yet put away (Heb 10:1-4). Christ accomplished this (Heb 10:5-10). So, Tabernacle rituals pictured what Christ would accomplish in establishing the New Covenant in His Blood in the Heavenly Temple, and activating it in His redeemed human Temples (Heb 9:7-12). As the High Priest, He offered Himself as the final Sacrifice and took His Blood into the heavenly Holy of Holies, and sprinkled it on God's Throne, the Mercy Seat, as full payment for our sin & every blessing of grace (Heb 4:16). His Blood in Heaven ever speaks on our behalf, and is the basis for the everlasting New Covenant (Heb 12:22-24). Having done this, He sat down to signify His finished work, and entered into His work as Mediator of the New Covenant for His people (Heb 1:3, 10:11-12, 9:23-26). The Heavenly Temple is an image of God's ultimate Temple (Man), so when we receive Christ, He also sprinkles us with His Blood & sanctifies us to Himself (1Pet 1:2, Heb 9:13-14). By His Spirit, He entered our holy of holies, and applied His Blood to our spirit, cleansing it from all sin & sanctifying it to Himself, making it a perfect new creation, and then sits enthroned there by His indwelling Spirit, to mediate the new covenant in our lives. This happened at our New Birth. He activated the New Covenant in us, so we're now under grace. We became a functioning Temple. Having sprinkled & cleansed us with His Blood (Heb 9:13-14), He now brings us into our inheritance (v15). It's a Throne of Grace, for the Lamb's Blood has been accepted by God on our behalf, and He sits at God's right hand dispensing His River of Grace to us (Rev 22:1-2). This also pictures us as Temples, with Christ enthroned as Lord in our spirit, releasing His river of grace from His throne in our spirit, flowing down into our heart & life. The trees = thoughts & emotions in our soul. As we trust in Christ who lives in us, and submit to His Lordship, we receive His river of blessing into our hearts. When God entered the Tabernacle, He sat in His glory, enthroned on the Mercy Seat above the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, and there He met with Moses & spoke with him (Ex 25:21-22). Likewise, He sits on the throne in our spirit, His base of operation in us. 3 items in the HOLY PLACE (Heb 9:1-4) = our SOUL: *(1) MENORAH = our MIND, illuminated by the oil of His Spirit. *(2) TABLE of SHOWBREAD (‘the Bread of the Presence') = our EMOTIONS, kept ever fresh from God's Presence, shining from the Holy of Holies. *(3) The ALTAR of INCENSE next to the Holy of Holies = our HEART or WILL, at the deepest part of our soul, called the Golden Censer (‘the Place of Incense') in Heb 9:4, where it's described as belonging to the holy of holies. Thus, our HEART is the junction & connection between our SPIRIT & SOUL, receiving God's life from the spirit, so that it flows into our soul (Heb 4:12, John 7:38). By God's design, the heart should be under the spirit's control, so a worshipping heart is necessary to receive God's grace into our souls. As we submit our hearts into God's Hand (the Holy Spirit), He can guide & empower us (Prov 21:1). To reign in life, put our heart into His Hand (His Spirit), who manifests in us as rivers of living water. In the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant containing 3 items, hidden under the Throne (under His control) = 3 aspects of God's grace, He wants to release into our soul by His Spirit: (1) the Tablets of the Covenant, (2) Aaron's Almond Rod that budded, and (3) the Golden Pot of Manna (Heb 9:3-5)

More on the parallels and comparsions between various offerings, and the way intent for the particular offering does (or does not) invalidate a meal-offering. Including whether the blood of the given (animal) offering can be present in the Holy of Holies. Also, a new mishnah! Is a Korban Pesach that is slaughtered in the morning of the 14th of Nisan considered slaughtered at the wrong time? Plus, the new wrinkle of whether the offering is eaten, as compared to the korban olah, which is not. And returning to the question of early on the 14th of Nisan counts as the correct time for the Pesach sacrifice.

Hebrews: The True and Better - Hebrews 10.19-22Jobey McGintyThe finished work of the Great High Priest has inaugurated a new and living way, granting us the audacious confidence to draw near to the Holy of Holies—not through our own fragile righteousness, but solely "by the blood of Jesus." This assurance is full and unwavering, a covenant sworn by God to Himself, securing our perseverance against every tribulation, persecution, and doubt.Our salvation is revealed to be imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, an inheritance so precious that the Father has Himself sealed it with the Holy Spirit as our eternal guarantee. Therefore, we are called to fan into flame the gift of God, dying to the self-preserving fear of the world and embracing a life of self-sacrificial love, for nothing—neither the darkness of the age nor the condemnation of our own heart—can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Daily Dose of Hope September 24, 2025   Scripture – Luke 23   Prayer:  Lord Jesus, We come before you this morning, thanking you for a new day.  Lord, you are good and we rejoice in your holy and powerful name.  As we begin our day, Lord, help us focus on you.  Help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on your Word and what you want us to learn today.  We get so distracted and self-consumed.  Forgive us for that, Lord.  In these next few moments of silence, help us have laser focus on your voice... In Your Powerful Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional/podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are deep diving into Luke 23.    Today, we start with Jesus before Pilate and Herod.  Both Roman men believe that Jesus  is innocent.  Pilate actually tries to get the people to release Jesus, but the crowd is stirred up.  They want blood.  Jesus' innocence is not the point to them.  They are looking for a way to get rid of this trouble-maker.  And these men are not willing to stand up for what's right.    There was a man named Simon from Cyrene who was passing by and they forced him to carry the cross.  Cyrene was on the tip of Africa so this man was far from home!  And here he was, just going about his business, and he is enlisted, or more like seized, to carry the cross of the Savior of the world.  I'm guessing that Jesus' physical body was incredibly weak and bloody by this point.  And Simon walked by him, carrying the cross that would serve to execute Jesus but also save all humanity from their sin. We don't know what happened to Simon after the crucifixion.  He isn't mentioned again in Scripture.  But my guess is that his life was never the same again.  An encounter with Jesus is always life-changing.   The text in which Jesus dies on the cross is called the Good Friday scripture.  It may seem odd that we would call the day that Jesus was crucified and died “good.” Apparently, the term came into common use in the 1200s because for us, it was a truly good day, as Jesus became the final sacrifice for all sin for all people for all time. As the full expression of God's love for us, Jesus voluntarily gave his life so that we could be reconciled to holy God. It is very much good.   There is a lot to be said about the crucifixion but I wanted to highlight something in particular.  Right before Jesus breathed his last breath on the cross, the curtain in the Temple was torn down the middle. This is the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (the Holiest of Holies) where the ark of the covenant was kept and the presence of God remained. When the curtain tore, it was a sign that the New Covenant was instituted. Because of Jesus' sacrifice (the final sacrifice for sin), those who believe in him can now go directly to the throne of God's grace. When holy God looks at us, he doesn't see our sinfulness but the blood of Christ. Thus, there are no more barriers that can separate us from God.   I'd like to close today with a prayer that is an adaptation of Hebrews 10:19-25: Thank you, Lord, that we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Lord, help us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Amen.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

How do I deal with someone who took my husband and goes to the same church as me? Did Jesus only receive the Holy Spirit at His baptism? Please explain Isaiah 59. On the day of atonement, did Aaron the high priest enter the Holy of Holies twice the same day - to offer the bull's blood for himself and his house? Should Christians arm and protect their families and the lives of others? Should Christians respond on public platforms, such as Facebook, to questions or comments that promote lies, wickedness, and blatant mockery of God? How do Christians stay calm and hopeful, fighting for what is right, when God has already told us that the end times would be filled with evil? Was Charlie Kirk truly a Christian in alignment with God's Word? When a person comes to you with false doctrine, is it antagonistic to simply state that they are following a false doctrine and need to turn to Christ? I had a dream that manifested, what does this mean? How do I help my depressed child? Listen as Pastor/Dr. David Murphy discusses these and other listener questions.

At Jesus' Crucifixion and Death, the “Temple Veil” Was Torn; After Jesus Easter Resurrection, You Now Pray Directly with God MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Think about the magnitude of your direct and personal access to God that your prayers give you, through Jesus, if you will only pray. Before Jesus, ordinary people did not have direct access to God, through the Throne Room of God, with a direct personal relationship with God. In Old Testament times, people would come to the priests; and the priest would offer up a sacrifice on behalf of the people. The priests, and not the people, were communing directly with God. On Good Friday and at Jesus death on the cross, the “Temple Veil” was torn from top to bottom (i.e. “Temple Vail” was a large, very thick, and very heavy barrier that divided that portion of the Temple accessible by those wishing to sacrifice for prayer and the “Holy of Holies” where the only the High Priest could meet with God and pray on behalf of the people of God.). At Jesus Resurrection, no longer was an intermediary (e.g., a Priest) required for direct prayer with God by the people in Christ (i.e. Jesus Followers).  Because Jesus created a New Covenant relationship with His followers, now your prayers are in direct communion with God, the Creator of the Universe. Everyone, who is in Christ, may have access to the Throne Room of God in the name of Jesus. What a privilege this direct access to God is for those who are in Christ. The author of Hebrews, in Hebrews 4:16, tells Jesus Followers that, because of the Gospel, you have direct access to God's “throne of Grace” for your needs: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.".   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11:13 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Philippians 4:1-13; John 15:9-10; Revelation 4:1-2; Psalms 69c:25-36. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “What Are You Aiming For” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Explore the divine blueprint of God's Temples and learn how they reflect His ultimate Temple: redeemed man in Christ. We're designed to be Temples of the Living God, in the image of Christ, the perfect human Temple of God. In union with Him, by His Spirit, He transforms us into His image from glory to glory. God's will for us as His Temples is to be filled with His Spirit, who indwells our holy of holies (SPIRIT), and also wants to fill our holy place (SOUL) and our BODY. The Tabernacle with all its furnishings was made according to a Divine Pattern (Ex 25:9,20, 26:30, Num 8:4, Acts 7:44, Heb 8:1-6). So, the earthly Tabernacle was made after the image of the heavenly Temple. The primary fulfilment of the typology of the Tabernacle is Jesus Himself. God came down to dwell among His people, by dwelling in a perfect human Tabernacle (John 1:1-14). The prophetic picture of the Tabernacle was perfectly fulfilled in the human nature of Jesus (Col 2:9). He was also filled with God's glory through the indwelling Spirit. He was the perfect prototype human Temple of God, the basis for all future human Temples of God. By His death & resurrection, He made it possible to multiply Himself in us, like a seed planted in the earth & rising again in multiplied form (John 12:24). When anyone receives Jesus, they are put into union with Him and become living stones in His Temple built on Him, their living Foundation, and He begins to change them into His image - first, by recreating our spirits in the New Birth, then by transforming our souls, and finally by glorifying our bodies. So, Christ is not just the fulfilment of the Tabernacle pattern, the perfect human prototype Temple, but also, the transforming power that changes us into His image as God's Temple, on the basis of His death & resurrection, so that we also become Temples of God, like Him. Thus, the pattern of the Tabernacle of Moses is primarily fulfilled in Christ, and 2ndly in us, His Body. God now lives in us, and wants to shine His glory through us. To make this all possible, on the Cross Christ fulfilled the Law of the Burnt Offering (Lev 1:1-12) & the Sin Offering (Lev 4:1-35). During the first 3 hours on the Cross, He offered Himself up as a sweet-selling burnt offering to the Lord (Eph 5:2). He identified with us and offered Himself for us, offering up His perfect human righteousness to God, to be accepted on our behalf, so that in Him we might be possess & be covered in His righteousness. On the basis of this aspect of the Cross, His righteousness is offered to us as a free-gift. From noon until 3pm, He fulfilled the type of the Sin Offering. He who knew no sin became sin for us on the Cross (2Cor 5:21). God signified this in the heavens by turning the sun to darkness, a picture of the radiant Sun of righteousness being covered with the darkness of our sin. In His Atonement, He paid the penalty in full for all our sins, so we can be forgiven, if we trust in Him. As our Sin-Offering, He took our sin and the punishment we deserved, releasing God's forgiveness & mercy to us, and as our Burnt Offering, He released His righteousness & life to us as a free-gift of grace. Christ's Altar of Burnt Offering is the everlasting power source for all of God's human Temples forever, for He gave Himself for us to release His everlasting righteousness & life, which will uphold us for all eternity. The truth that His Sacrifice is forever effectual in satisfying God and in releasing His grace to us is revealed in the Law of the Burnt Offering (Lev 6:8-13). His act of obedience in offering Himself up for us on the Cross provides for us an abundant everlasting source of grace (Rom 5:8-21). By His once for all perfect offering, He gave us His righteousness, grace & life, as our everlasting possession. As one moves toward the Holy Place of worship, after the Altar of Burnt Offering was the Laver (Ex 40:30). (1) He sacrificed Himself on the Cross for His Bride (represented by the Bronze Altar), so that (2) He might sanctify & cleanse us by the WASHING of His WORD (the Bronze Laver) - Eph 5:26. The LAVER represents God's WRITTEN WORD, which reveals His LIVING WORD – Christ, the source of eternal life (John 5:39-40). As we look into the Mirror of God's Word, the glory of the Person & Life of Christ is revealed to us, and His Spirit cleanses us from sin & sanctifies us to God (2Cor 3:18). The more we're cleansed & sanctified, the closer we can draw near to God to fellowship with Him and know Him (Heb 12:14, Matt 5:8). The Holy of Holies represents the spirit of man, in which was: “the Ark of the Covenant, in which were the Golden Pot of Manna, Aaron's Rod that budded & the Tablets of the Covenant” (Heb 9:3-4). These 3 items in the Holy of Holies correspond to the 3 items in the Holy Place, for the soul is made in the image of the spirit, designed to express & manifest the life & nature of the spirit.

Explore the divine blueprint of God's Temples and learn how they reflect His ultimate Temple: redeemed man in Christ. We're designed to be Temples of the Living God, in the image of Christ, the perfect human Temple of God. In union with Him, by His Spirit, He transforms us into His image from glory to glory. God's will for us as His Temples is to be filled with His Spirit, who indwells our holy of holies (SPIRIT), and also wants to fill our holy place (SOUL) and our BODY. The Tabernacle with all its furnishings was made according to a Divine Pattern (Ex 25:9,20, 26:30, Num 8:4, Acts 7:44, Heb 8:1-6). So, the earthly Tabernacle was made after the image of the heavenly Temple. The primary fulfilment of the typology of the Tabernacle is Jesus Himself. God came down to dwell among His people, by dwelling in a perfect human Tabernacle (John 1:1-14). The prophetic picture of the Tabernacle was perfectly fulfilled in the human nature of Jesus (Col 2:9). He was also filled with God's glory through the indwelling Spirit. He was the perfect prototype human Temple of God, the basis for all future human Temples of God. By His death & resurrection, He made it possible to multiply Himself in us, like a seed planted in the earth & rising again in multiplied form (John 12:24). When anyone receives Jesus, they are put into union with Him and become living stones in His Temple built on Him, their living Foundation, and He begins to change them into His image - first, by recreating our spirits in the New Birth, then by transforming our souls, and finally by glorifying our bodies. So, Christ is not just the fulfilment of the Tabernacle pattern, the perfect human prototype Temple, but also, the transforming power that changes us into His image as God's Temple, on the basis of His death & resurrection, so that we also become Temples of God, like Him. Thus, the pattern of the Tabernacle of Moses is primarily fulfilled in Christ, and 2ndly in us, His Body. God now lives in us, and wants to shine His glory through us. To make this all possible, on the Cross Christ fulfilled the Law of the Burnt Offering (Lev 1:1-12) & the Sin Offering (Lev 4:1-35). During the first 3 hours on the Cross, He offered Himself up as a sweet-selling burnt offering to the Lord (Eph 5:2). He identified with us and offered Himself for us, offering up His perfect human righteousness to God, to be accepted on our behalf, so that in Him we might be possess & be covered in His righteousness. On the basis of this aspect of the Cross, His righteousness is offered to us as a free-gift. From noon until 3pm, He fulfilled the type of the Sin Offering. He who knew no sin became sin for us on the Cross (2Cor 5:21). God signified this in the heavens by turning the sun to darkness, a picture of the radiant Sun of righteousness being covered with the darkness of our sin. In His Atonement, He paid the penalty in full for all our sins, so we can be forgiven, if we trust in Him. As our Sin-Offering, He took our sin and the punishment we deserved, releasing God's forgiveness & mercy to us, and as our Burnt Offering, He released His righteousness & life to us as a free-gift of grace. Christ's Altar of Burnt Offering is the everlasting power source for all of God's human Temples forever, for He gave Himself for us to release His everlasting righteousness & life, which will uphold us for all eternity. The truth that His Sacrifice is forever effectual in satisfying God and in releasing His grace to us is revealed in the Law of the Burnt Offering (Lev 6:8-13). His act of obedience in offering Himself up for us on the Cross provides for us an abundant everlasting source of grace (Rom 5:8-21). By His once for all perfect offering, He gave us His righteousness, grace & life, as our everlasting possession. As one moves toward the Holy Place of worship, after the Altar of Burnt Offering was the Laver (Ex 40:30). (1) He sacrificed Himself on the Cross for His Bride (represented by the Bronze Altar), so that (2) He might sanctify & cleanse us by the WASHING of His WORD (the Bronze Laver) - Eph 5:26. The LAVER represents God's WRITTEN WORD, which reveals His LIVING WORD – Christ, the source of eternal life (John 5:39-40). As we look into the Mirror of God's Word, the glory of the Person & Life of Christ is revealed to us, and His Spirit cleanses us from sin & sanctifies us to God (2Cor 3:18). The more we're cleansed & sanctified, the closer we can draw near to God to fellowship with Him and know Him (Heb 12:14, Matt 5:8). The Holy of Holies represents the spirit of man, in which was: “the Ark of the Covenant, in which were the Golden Pot of Manna, Aaron's Rod that budded & the Tablets of the Covenant” (Heb 9:3-4). These 3 items in the Holy of Holies correspond to the 3 items in the Holy Place, for the soul is made in the image of the spirit, designed to express & manifest the life & nature of the spirit.

Scripture:  1 Kings 3:1, 1 Kings 3:4ff, 1 Kings 3:16ff, 1 Kings 6, 1 Kings 8, 2 Chronicles 5-7, 2 Chronicles 3:1, Genesis 22, 1 Kings 9, 2 Chronicles 7:14, 1 Kings 9:4-5 This study helps us dig deeper into Solomon: Wise Leader     ⁃    Pharaoh's Daughter - 1 Kings 3:1 - Solomon secures a peace treaty with Egypt and a strategic marriage to one of the Pharaoh's daughter's.     ⁃    Sacrifices at Gibeon - 1 Kings 3:4ff - shortly after taking the throne we see Him following his father David's advice. We see Solomon going to Gibeon to offer sacrifices to God and commits his life to God. The Lord appears to Solomon in a dream saying “ask for whatever you want.”  Solomon replies in humility, and asks to be given a discerning heart to distinguish between right and wrong so that he can govern the nation justly and well. He sought God's wisdom and guidance so that he could bless and nurture the children of Israel. The Lord was pleased with Solomon's reply and gave him what he asked for, plus God told him He would give him even more than what he had asked for: wealth and honor.      ⁃    2 Prostitutes - 1 Kings 3:16ff - Two prostitutes come to Solomon. Both have birthed boys but one had rolled over on her son and the child died. But they each claimed the living son as their own. Solomon says, “bring me a sword and cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” But at that point the real mother says, “oh please don't do that.” And the other woman says, “yes, do it.” Solomon then gives the living child to the one who had asked for the child to be spared because she was the real mother. King Solomon was admired greatly by his people for his wisdom from God in administering justice.  He is recognized as very wise. Solomon: Builder     ⁃    Temple Construction - 1 Kings 6 - in the 4th year of his reign Solomon begins building the Temple of the Lord. ca. 966 BC. It will take 7 years to build this incredible temple. Temple was only for priests, but people would gather in the courtyards around the temple. The temple has 3 sections: The Porch, The Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. The interior was covered in gold. The Ark of the Covenant was placed in the Holy of Holies where the High Priest went once per year on the Day of Atonement - Yom Kippur. A place of shed blood pointing to the One who is the Lamb of God/The Mercy Seat/The Messiah/Jesus our Savior. In 2 Chronicles 3:1 we read that the Temple was build on Mount Moriah. The place of the story where Abraham had taken his only son Isaac. Pastor shares prophetic likeness to Jesus in this story of Genesis 22. (This will also be the location of the Second Temple).     ⁃    Temple Dedication - 1 Kings 8 & 2 Chronicles 5-7. When the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the Holy of Holies, the glory of the Lord filled the temple!  Solomon shares a sermonette and a powerful prayer. Solomon's heart is to win people to the Living God - that they walk in faith and obedience to God. And when he finished praying a fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnet offering and the sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The people began shouting praises and thanks to God. And a multiple sacrifices were given to God.     ⁃    God appears to Solomon a second time - 1 Kings 9 & 2 Chronicles 7:14 - God speaks to Solomon and tells him that He wants to bring blessing saying, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  This too is our prayer  -  it is a prayer for us still today - a prayer for our nations, that we would seek God, turn from our wickedness, because He will hear from heaven and heal our land. God closes His time with Solomon with these words: (1 Kings 9:4-5) “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness….and do all I command …. I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David…”.  God calls Solomon to Himself and God calls each one of us to Himself! Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE. View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

In this episode, 'the River of Life,' Derek explores the profound biblical revelation that believers are the eternal Temple of God, designed to be filled with His presence and glory. Redeemed man in Christ is designed to be the eternal Temple of the Living God, indwelt by Him and shining forth His glory. Thus, redeemed man is the ultimate, eternal Temple of God (1Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19-20, 12:12, 2Cor 6:16, Ephesians 2:21-22, Rev 21:22-26). TEMPLES are designed to be dwelling places of God, and He introduced TEMPLES to reveal His ULTIMATE PURPOSE for mankind. He created MAN to be His TEMPLE, and now His plan is to redeem us, so that we might be the DWELLING PLACE of God, that God would dwell with us and IN US forever! This is God's ultimate purpose for man - that God might dwell in us and be glorified through us. All Temples of God are a blueprint of His ultimate Temple (Man), and so they describe our nature, design, purpose and operation - how God made us to function. The first clear design feature of God's Temples is that they are all tripartite in structure. That is, they are comprised of 3 distinct parts, with 3 different levels of holiness, sometimes represented by different heights: (1) The HOLY of HOLIES, where God is enthroned, (2) the HOLY PLACE, and (3) the OUTER COURT. Likewise man is (1) SPIRIT, (2) SOUL & (3) BODY (1Thessalonians 5:23). The greatest Presence of God is in the Holy of Holies, where He is enthroned as King, and His Presence (Glory) radiates like light shining forth from the Holiest Place. One picture of this FLOW of LIFE is that His SPIRIT of GRACE flows down like RIVERS from the highest place (the Holy of Holies or Throne Room) to water the lower places. We see this RIVER of LIFE in the Heavenly Temple (Rev 22:1-2), in Eden (Genesis 2:10) and in the Millennial Temple (Joel 3:18, Zechariah 14:8-9, Ezekiel 47). Jesus was a fully functioning Temple of God, who came to make us into Temples of God, with the Holy Spirit dwelling in our born again spirit (John 14:16-17, Romans 5:5, John 4:10,14), and flowing out through our heart as rivers of living water (John 7:37-39). So, now in Christ, God, the Holy Spirit lives within our reborn spirit (where Christ is enthroned), from where He wants to flow down as rivers of life to fill our souls with His light and life, and then flow out through our bodies to the world, as we obey Him, by speaking His words and doing His works. We are Temples of the Living God, who wants to fill and empower us and be glorified through us. As we let His River of life and grace flow down from our high place (our spirit) through our soul, as we submit to Him and obey Him, the trees in the garden of our soul (our thoughts and emotions) will continually flourish and grow and be fruitful to the glory of God.

In this episode, 'the River of Life,' Derek explores the profound biblical revelation that believers are the eternal Temple of God, designed to be filled with His presence and glory. Redeemed man in Christ is designed to be the eternal Temple of the Living God, indwelt by Him and shining forth His glory. Thus, redeemed man is the ultimate, eternal Temple of God (1Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19-20, 12:12, 2Cor 6:16, Ephesians 2:21-22, Rev 21:22-26). TEMPLES are designed to be dwelling places of God, and He introduced TEMPLES to reveal His ULTIMATE PURPOSE for mankind. He created MAN to be His TEMPLE, and now His plan is to redeem us, so that we might be the DWELLING PLACE of God, that God would dwell with us and IN US forever! This is God's ultimate purpose for man - that God might dwell in us and be glorified through us. All Temples of God are a blueprint of His ultimate Temple (Man), and so they describe our nature, design, purpose and operation - how God made us to function. The first clear design feature of God's Temples is that they are all tripartite in structure. That is, they are comprised of 3 distinct parts, with 3 different levels of holiness, sometimes represented by different heights: (1) The HOLY of HOLIES, where God is enthroned, (2) the HOLY PLACE, and (3) the OUTER COURT. Likewise man is (1) SPIRIT, (2) SOUL & (3) BODY (1Thessalonians 5:23). The greatest Presence of God is in the Holy of Holies, where He is enthroned as King, and His Presence (Glory) radiates like light shining forth from the Holiest Place. One picture of this FLOW of LIFE is that His SPIRIT of GRACE flows down like RIVERS from the highest place (the Holy of Holies or Throne Room) to water the lower places. We see this RIVER of LIFE in the Heavenly Temple (Rev 22:1-2), in Eden (Genesis 2:10) and in the Millennial Temple (Joel 3:18, Zechariah 14:8-9, Ezekiel 47). Jesus was a fully functioning Temple of God, who came to make us into Temples of God, with the Holy Spirit dwelling in our born again spirit (John 14:16-17, Romans 5:5, John 4:10,14), and flowing out through our heart as rivers of living water (John 7:37-39). So, now in Christ, God, the Holy Spirit lives within our reborn spirit (where Christ is enthroned), from where He wants to flow down as rivers of life to fill our souls with His light and life, and then flow out through our bodies to the world, as we obey Him, by speaking His words and doing His works. We are Temples of the Living God, who wants to fill and empower us and be glorified through us. As we let His River of life and grace flow down from our high place (our spirit) through our soul, as we submit to Him and obey Him, the trees in the garden of our soul (our thoughts and emotions) will continually flourish and grow and be fruitful to the glory of God.

At Jesus' Crucifixion and Death, the “Temple Veil” Was Torn; After Jesus Easter Resurrection, You Now Pray Directly with God MESSAGE SUMMARY:  Think about the magnitude of your direct and personal access to God that your prayers give you, through Jesus, if you will only pray. Before Jesus, ordinary people did not have direct access to God, through the Throne Room of God, with a direct personal relationship with God. In Old Testament times, people would come to the priests; and the priest would offer up a sacrifice on behalf of the people. The priests, and not the people, were communing directly with God. On Good Friday and at Jesus death on the cross, the “Temple Veil” was torn from top to bottom (i.e. “Temple Vail” was a large, very thick, and very heavy barrier that divided that portion of the Temple accessible by those wishing to sacrifice for prayer and the “Holy of Holies” where the only the High Priest could meet with God and pray on behalf of the people of God.). At Jesus Resurrection, no longer was an intermediary (e.g., a Priest) required for direct prayer with God by the people in Christ (i.e. Jesus Followers).  Because Jesus created a New Covenant relationship with His followers, now your prayers are in direct communion with God, the Creator of the Universe. Everyone, who is in Christ, may have access to the Throne Room of God in the name of Jesus. What a privilege this direct access to God is for those who are in Christ. The author of Hebrews, in Hebrews 4:16, tells Jesus Followers that, because of the Gospel, you have direct access to God's “throne of Grace” for your needs: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.".   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FORGIVEN. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Philippians 4:1-13; John 15:9-10; Revelation 4:1-2; Psalms 69c:25-36. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “A Word from the Cross” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

התוכן יסוד הבנין צ"ל כמו שהקב"ה עשה עם יסוד העולם (אבן השתי') – מונח ב"קודש הקדשים", עפ"י הוראות התורה, ועי"ז נעשה כל הבנין ענין של קדושה; לפני הבני' צ"ל "שבירת הקרקע" – ענין הביטול, כדי להראות שאי"ז ב"כוחי ועוצם ידי" אלא בכוחו של ה'; הקשר למ"ש ברביעי דפ' כי תבוא: "ובנית שם מזבח לה' אלקיך גו' והעלת עליו עולות גו' וזבחת שלמים וגו'" – כ"א צריך לבנות מנכסיו "מזבח" לה', מקום מוכן שבו יקריב את "חלבו ודמו" לה'. ובב' האופנים: "קרבן עולה" – עבודת התפילה, ו"קרבן שלמים" שחלקו לבעלים – שהנהגתו בעניני העולם הוא באופן של שלמים "שמטילים שלום" בין האדם ובין ה', וכן מודגש בקרבן שלמים הענין דאהבת ישראל, ועוד.שיחת יום ג' דפ' כי תבוא, י"ז אלול ה'תשמ"ח – בעת מעמד הנחת אבן הפינה לבית רבינו שבבבל ל"הנחה פרטית" או התרגום ללה"ק של השיחה: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=10-09-2025 Synopsis Just as Hashem placed the foundation stone of the entire world in the Holy of Holies, so must any building or initiative be founded upon the Torah's instructions, thereby making the entire edifice a holy one. Before construction can begin, there must be a “groundbreaking,” an act of bitul (self-nullification) showing that the success comes not from “my strength and the power of my hand,” but from Hashem. This relates to revi'i of parashas Ki Savo which states, “You shall build there an altar to Hashem your G-d...and offer up ascent-offerings on it...And you shall slaughter peace-offerings...”: Every person must use his possessions to build an “altar” for Hashem, meaning a place designated for him to offer his “fat and blood” to Hashem, in one of two ways: the ascent-offering, corresponding to the service of tefillah, and the peace-offering, from which “a portion goes to the owner,” meaning one's conduct in worldly matters “brings peace” between man and Hashem and foster love and unity between Jews etc.Excerpt from sichah of Tuesday, parashas Ki Savo, 17 Elul 5748 – at the groundbreaking of the expansion of 770. For a transcript in English of the Sicha: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=10-09-2025 לזכות הרב משה שי' שפירא ליום ההולדת שלו החמישים י"ד אלול ה'תשפ"הלשנת ברכה והצלחה, ואריכות ימים ושנים טובות נדבת משפחת השלוחים ד'האדסן קאנטי, ניו ג'רזי*לע"נ הרה"ח התמים ר' מאיר ב"ר חיים שניאור זלמן ע"ה איטקיןליום היארצייט שלו י"ז אלול. ת.נ.צ.ב.ה.נדבת בני משפחתו שיחיו

Derek Walker describes the Millennial Temple drawing from many scriptures in Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah & Zechariah. Discover how the concept of God's dwelling with man is central to biblical revelation, from the original earthly Temple in Eden to its ultimate fulfilment in the Millennial reign of Christ - the times of restoration of all things, when the Land of Israel will be restored to be like the original Eden. The Millennial Temple, at the peak of the Mountain of the Lord, in Israel, will be at the heart of the restoration of God's Kingdom on earth at Christ's Return. Christ will reign over the whole earth from its Holy of Holies, and a River of Life will flow from it into Jerusalem, and then divide into 2 rivers to the west and to the east. This episode provides God's vision for the climax of human history in the Messianic Kingdom and the greatest of the earthly Temples, the closest image of the heavenly Temple, which therefore also provides deep insights into the nature and operation of redeemed Man in Christ - God's ultimate, eternal Temple.

In this episode, Pastor Eric explains the mystery and meaning behind the “Tent of Meeting,” showing how every detail—the structure, its furnishings, its rituals—points directly to Jesus, our Redeemer and High Priest. He explores how the Tabernacle revealed God's covenant with Israel, His desire to dwell among His people, and His ultimate plan of redemption for both Jew and Gentile. From the altar of sacrifice to the Holy of Holies, each part of the Tabernacle reflects our spiritual journey from sin and separation to reconciliation and communion with God. The discussion also highlights the prophetic significance of the Tabernacle: how it connects with the promise of the restored Tabernacle of David, how it foreshadows Christ's reign in His Kingdom, and why it still matters for believers today.

Derek Walker explores the significance of Temples, focusing on the first 3 Temples on the earthly Mount Zion, pointing out the connections between the heavenly and earthly Temples. After God moved into the Tabernacle, He promised He would lead them to a holy Mountain of His choosing where His Sanctuary would be established. God had already set apart Mount Moriah, later called Mount Zion, when Abraham offered up Isaac on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22) and God promised that He would offer up His Son in that place (v8,14). From that time Mt. Moriah was God's ordained place of Sacrifice. Later David establish his capital in Jerusalem, and God revealed to him the location and plans for the Temple, especially the Holy of Holies, and the Altar (on Ornan's threshing floor) on Mount Moriah, to the north and above the City of David (1Chronicles 21-22). Later Solomon build the Temple there (2Chronicles 23:1) and it was filled with God's glory at its Dedication. It was destroyed by the Babylonians 432 years later because of Israel's idolatry, and rebuilt 70 years later in the same place as the 2nd Temple, which was later beautified by Herod the Great. This was the Temple in the time of Jesus, but was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70, because of Israel's rejection of Christ. There will also be a 3rd Temple of God on Mount Zion in the future (the Tribulation Temple), which God will use as a final outreach to Israel as well as the world, especially through the 2 witnesses. After 3.5 years the antichrist will desecrate it with the Abomination of Desolation (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, 2Thessalonians 2, Revelation 11). There will also be a 4th Temple on Mount Zion in the Millennium (Isaiah 2:1-4, Ezekiel 40-48).

Derek Walker explores the significance of Temples, focusing on the first 3 Temples on the earthly Mount Zion, pointing out the connections between the heavenly and earthly Temples. After God moved into the Tabernacle, He promised He would lead them to a holy Mountain of His choosing where His Sanctuary would be established. God had already set apart Mount Moriah, later called Mount Zion, when Abraham offered up Isaac on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22) and God promised that He would offer up His Son in that place (v8,14). From that time Mt. Moriah was God's ordained place of Sacrifice. Later David establish his capital in Jerusalem, and God revealed to him the location and plans for the Temple, especially the Holy of Holies, and the Altar (on Ornan's threshing floor) on Mount Moriah, to the north and above the City of David (1Chronicles 21-22). Later Solomon build the Temple there (2Chronicles 23:1) and it was filled with God's glory at its Dedication. It was destroyed by the Babylonians 432 years later because of Israel's idolatry, and rebuilt 70 years later in the same place as the 2nd Temple, which was later beautified by Herod the Great. This was the Temple in the time of Jesus, but was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70, because of Israel's rejection of Christ. There will also be a 3rd Temple of God on Mount Zion in the future (the Tribulation Temple), which God will use as a final outreach to Israel as well as the world, especially through the 2 witnesses. After 3.5 years the antichrist will desecrate it with the Abomination of Desolation (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, 2Thessalonians 2, Revelation 11). There will also be a 4th Temple on Mount Zion in the Millennium (Isaiah 2:1-4, Ezekiel 40-48).

https://youtu.be/Mw5Bibw9434 Audio: Play the audio class Download: Download this MP3 Topics: Morning Prayers Follow-Along Text: 1. אֵיזֶהוּ מְקוֹמָן שֶׁל זְבָחִים, קָדְשֵׁי קָדָשִׁים שְׁחִיטָתָן בַּצָּפוֹן.             Where were the places of sacrifice in the Bet-Hamikdash? The most holy offerings were slaughtered on the north side of the altar.פָּר וְשָׂעִיר שֶׁל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים שְׁחִיטָתָן בַּצָּפוֹן,The bull and the goat [offered on] Yom Kippur would be slaughtered in the northern area [of the Beis HaMikdash Courtyard].וְקִבּוּל דָּמָן בִּכְלִי שָׁרֵת בַּצָּפוֹן,Their blood would be received in a sacramental vessel in the northern area [of the Beis HaMikdash Courtyard].וְדָמָן טָעוּן הַזָּיָה עַל בֵּין הַבַּדִּים, וְעַל הַפָּרֹֽכֶת, וְעַל מִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב. מַתָּנָה אַחַת מֵהֶן מְעַכָּֽבֶת.That blood was to be sprinkled between the staves [of the Ark], toward the curtain [before the Holy of Holies], and on the golden altar. If even one [sprinkling was omitted, atonement] would be withheld.שִׁירֵי הַדָּם הָיָה שׁוֹפֵךְ עַל יְסוֹד מַעֲרָבִי שֶׁל מִזְבֵּֽחַ הַחִיצוֹן, אִם לֹא נָתַן לֹא עִכֵּב:[The Kohen Gadol] poured out the remainder of the blood on the base at the western side of the outer altar. If it was not poured out, [atonement] was not withheld. PreviousClass 068: Ana Bechoach, Ribon Haolamim NextClass 070: Mishnah 2-4 More in this section Class 074: Shlamim Habechor Vehamaaser Vehapesach part 2 Class 073: Shlamim Habechor Vehamaaser Vehapesach part 1 Class 072: Mishnah 5-6 Class 071: Mishnah 5 Class 070: Mishnah 2-4 Class 068: Ana Bechoach, Ribon Haolamim Class 067: Abbaye Hava Mesader Class 066: Hashem Tzevakot Ashrei, Hashem Hoshia, Minchat Yehuda Class 065: morning prayers: Hashem Tzevakot Imanu

https://youtu.be/JLIbiR5pai8 Audio: Play the audio class Download: Download this MP3 Topics: Morning Prayers Follow-Along Text: 2. פָּרִים הַנִּשְׂרָפִים וּשְׂעִירִים הַנִּשְׂרָפִים שְׁחִיטָתָן בַּצָּפוֹן, 2. The bulls and the goats that were to be burned [outside the Beis HaMikdash Courtyard] would be slaughtered in the northern area [of the Beis HaMikdash Courtyard]. קִבּוּל דָּמָן בִּכְלִי שָׁרֵת בַּצָּפוֹן, וְדָמָן טָעוּן הַזָּיָה עַל הַפָּרֹֽכֶת, וְעַל מִזְבַּח הַזָּהָב. מַתָּנָה אַחַת מֵהֶן מְעַכָּֽבֶת. Their blood would be received in a sacramental vessel in the northern area [of the Beis HaMikdash Courtyard]. That blood was to be sprinkled toward the curtain [before the Holy of Holies] and on the golden altar. If even one [sprinkling was omitted, atonement] would be withheld. שִׁירֵי הַדָּם הָיָה שׁוֹפֵךְ עַל יְסוֹד מַעֲרָבִי שֶׁל מִזְבֵּֽחַ הַחִיצוֹן, אִם לֹא נָתַן לֹא עִכֵּב, The [kohen performing the service] poured out the remainder of the blood on the base at the western side of the outer altar. If it was not poured out, [atonement] was not withheld. אֵֽלּוּ וָאֵֽלּוּ נִשְׂרָפִין בְּבֵית הַדָּֽשֶׁן: [The animals offered in] all the above sacrifices would be burned in the place where the ashes [from the altar] were deposited. 3. חַטָּאוֹת הַצִּבּוּר וְהַיָּחִיד, אֵֽלּוּ הֵן חַטָּאוֹת הַצִּבּוּר: שְׂעִירֵי רָאשֵׁי חֳדָשִׁים וְשֶׁל מוֹעֲדוֹת, 3. [The following laws apply to both] the communal and individual sin-offerings. These are the communal sin-offerings: the goats offered on Rosh Chodesh and on the festivals. שְׁחִיטָתָן בַּצָּפוֹן, וְקִבּוּל דָּמָן בִּכְלִי שָׁרֵת בַּצָּפוֹן, וְדָמָן טָעוּן אַרְבַּע מַתָּנוֹת עַל אַרְבַּע קְרָנוֹת, כֵּיצַד: They would be slaughtered in the northern area [of the Beis HaMikdash Courtyard]. Their blood would be received in a sacramental vessel in the northern area [of the Beis HaMikdash Courtyard], and was to be applied [on the altar] four times, [once] on each of the corners. How was this performed? עָלָה בַכֶּֽבֶשׁ וּפָנָה לַסּוֹבֵב, וּבָא לוֹ לְקֶֽרֶן דְּרוֹמִית מִזְרָחִית, מִזְרָחִית צְפוֹנִית, צְפוֹנִית מַעֲרָבִית, מַעֲרָבִית דְּרוֹמִית. [The kohen] would ascend via the ramp [at the southern side of the altar] and turn to the surrounding walkway [on the edge of the altar]. He would approach [in turn] the southeastern corner, the northeastern corner, the northwestern corner and the southwestern corner, [applying the blood on each of the corners]. שִׁירֵי הַדָּם הָיָה שׁוֹפֵךְ עַל יְסוֹד דְּרוֹמִי, He would pour the remainder of the blood on the base at the southern side of the altar. וְנֶאֱכָלִין לִפְנִים מִן הַקְּלָעִים לְזִכְרֵי כְהֻנָּה בְּכָל מַאֲכָל, לְיוֹם וָלַֽיְלָה עַד חֲצוֹת: [The meat from these sacrifices] could be eaten by male kohanim within the Beis HaMikdash Courtyard, prepared in any manner, during the day [the sacrifice was offered] and on the following night until midnight. 4. הָעוֹלָה, קֹֽדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים, שְׁחִיטָתָהּ בַּצָּפוֹן, 4. The burnt-offering was a sacrifice of the most sacred order. [The animal designated for this offering] would be slaughtered in the northern area [of the Beis HaMikdash Courtyard]. וְקִבּוּל דָּמָהּ בִּכְלִי שָׁרֵת בַּצָּפוֹן, וְדָמָהּ טָעוּן שְׁתֵּי מַתָּנוֹת שֶׁהֵן אַרְבַּע, Its blood would be received in a sacramental vessel in the northern area [of the Beis HaMikdash Courtyard] and it was to be dashed twice on the altar [in a manner that enabled it to reach all] four [sides of the altar]. וּטְעוּנָה הֶפְשֵׁט וְנִתּֽוּחַ, וְכָלִיל לָאִשִּׁים: The hide was to be removed from the sacrificial animal, which was to be cut into portions, and burned entirely on the fires [of the altar]. PreviousClass 069: Eizehu Mekoman Mishnah 1 ...

Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would enter the “Holy of Holies” and offer the blood of the sacrifice to God in order to cover the sins of the people. Jesus atonement on the cross removed our sins once and forever. He is our substitute for the sin-debt that we […]

Surrounding the Tent of Meeting, in which was found the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy of Holies, was a linen fence forming an outer courtyard around the tent. This outer part of the Tabernacle was where God's people gathered to worship Him. Join us in God's Word to discover how the courtyard of the Tabernacle provides a blueprint for what God expects of His people.

Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would enter the “Holy of Holies” and offer the blood of the sacrifice to God in order to cover the sins of the people. Jesus atonement on the cross removed our sins once and forever. He is our substitute for the sin-debt that we […]

Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would enter the “Holy of Holies” and offer the blood of the sacrifice to God in order to cover the sins of the people. Jesus atonement on the cross removed our sins once and forever. He is our substitute for the sin-debt that we […]

Jesus Delivers Us (11) (audio) David Eells -8/20/25 Factious people have divisive and slanderous spirits in the political and religious realm. Tit 3:10  A factious man after a first and second admonition refuse; 11  knowing that such a one is perverted, and sinneth, being self-condemned. If this is not obeyed their demons invade you.   Break Ties with Factious People by A.T. Addressed to a friend in Faction. Recently, I was vexed with a severe trial. This sickness was so bad that my body had been rejecting, via severe diarrhea, almost all nutrition. I had terrible pain with digestion. My body had been getting progressively weaker. My muscles were bearing close to no strength. As I took my daughter to school this morning, my legs were shaking while I walked. They felt like they could barely hold up my own weight. It was extremely painful to walk and then even to sit up on the bus. I have never in my life experienced such illness or discomfort. I had been seeking the Lord for answers and praying for healing, but the weight of this sickness had just seemed to intensify, with no relief. It wasn't from lack of sleep, lack of hydration or poor eating habits. Heading back to the bus from the school drop-off, I was seeking Jesus for mercy. I was asking Him for help getting on the bus. My legs felt so weak, like they were going to buckle underneath me. He said, “D and A have set a trap for some.” You see, D, I had heard about you leaving fellowship a while ago. At the time, I had many questions myself. Thus, I never completely let go of you. My mind kept reverting back to when I last saw you and thinking how much I love you and your pleasant family. Understand that I was not told by any man about your spiritual condition. Even upon hearing about you leaving and falling into faction, I still did not take full heed. My thinking was, “Well, who's right?” But this word came through the Spirit of God, a Voice without any bias or influence of man. God continues to confirm to me the righteous standing of the ministry. It is, indeed, a refuge for God's loving souls. But, D, times are “a changing…” When the Lord warned me, He also instantly healed me. My strength returned. I felt the Spirit of God touch me and heal me. I felt demons leave from my heart and through the top of my head. This deliverance happened the moment I heard the Lord warning me about staying in contact with you. As I type this letter, I am totally healed. I feel such clarity now. The Father has told me to break ties with you completely, lest the sickness return. I wish it didn't have to come to this. But you need help. Please call upon the Lord! Ask Him to reveal the truth to you before time is lost. He loves you, but cannot tolerate hidden sins within His sheepfold. I am no different—if I bear any iniquity, then I must repent. So it is with anyone. God is no respecter of persons. Please, my brother, I bring this forward in love. And God loves you so much that He allowed me to get very sick. This was so that He could speak to me the reason and then heal me. He did this for you to see the truth for yourself. Just think about what the Lord has done here. Please do not deny the Cross of Christ. The Father's voice through His Son is calling you right now to return and be healed. Next, let me share this dream from S.S. we called:   Invasion of “Stupid” Demons, Part 2 by S.S. (David's notes in red) I will first read the entire dream and then break it down with the interpretation. We, all of UBM and then some, are in a huge warehouse. And tables were set up like for a pot blessing. David was sitting at the head of the table where I was sitting. On his left were M.H., then S.S, J.S., D.L. and M.L. And on the other side were T.C.1, T.C.2, a man I didn't know, and other UBM members. And T.C.1 said, “Hey S.S.! Remember that ‘stupid' dream?” And I said, “Huh?” Putting his thumbs on his temples and waving his fingers like wings, He said, “You know!?” “That dream was so simplistic and to the point. You need to tell it!” said T.C.2. David agreed, saying, “Yeah! Tell it!” T.C.1 added, “Quiet, everyone! S.S. wants to tell a dream.” And someone said, “Stand up!” So I'm starting to tell the dream. And in the first part, I'm telling how I was praying. I'm also hearing a conversation that, in the natural, I should not have been able to hear. The first conversation I overheard was, “Don't you ever get tired of praying for the same thing over and over again?” And the second conversation was, “These dreamers! Who do they think they are! They probably don't even hear from God! They're all liars! I'm so tired of hearing their names!” The third conversation was, “I don't really have to confess my sins to anyone. God already knows them.” And the fourth conversation was, “I'm so tired of hearing about the latter rain! Yeah, yeah. It's coming. They don't know what they're talking about! Let's see if it falls today? Chuckle! Chuckle! Chuckle!” And the fifth conversation was, “I hope when she finishes, we're not going to sing a whole bunch of songs. It's the same songs over and over. And I'm not raising my hands!” The sixth conversation was, “Don't you think they look like a bunch of imbeciles jumping and dancing around! That's fake!” When I heard all that, I turned my head and saw a walrus, rats, wolves, and mockers. I was so grieved that I actually bit my lower lip hard! I turned and looked at David. He said quietly, “S.S., stop this infiltration, pray now!” Now, let's look at the interpretation of Part 2. We, all of UBM and then some, are in a huge warehouse. People are associating with UBM in this large warehouse because that's our ministry. And tables were set up like for a pot blessing. David was sitting at the head of the table where I was sitting. On his left were M.H., then myself, J.S., D.L. and M.L. And on the other side were T.C.1, T.C.2, a man I didn't know, and other UBM members. And T.C.1 said, “Hey S.S.! Remember that ‘stupid' dream?” T.C.1 was talking about the one we just shared with you in Part 10 teaching, “The Invasion of the ‘Stupid' Demons, Part 1.” And I said, “Huh?” Putting his thumbs on his temples and waving his fingers like wings, He said, “You know!?” “That dream was so simplistic and to the point. You need to tell it!” said T.C.2. David agreed, saying, “Yeah! Tell it!” T.C.1 added, “Quiet everyone! S.S. wants to tell a dream.” And someone said, “Stand up!” This is so they could hear S.S. more clearly. So I'm starting to tell the dream. And in the first part, I'm telling how I was praying. I'm also hearing a conversation that, in the natural, I should not have been able to hear. By a gift of the Spirit, she was hearing conversations that were going on beyond her hearing. What she was hearing were thoughts and words coming from the demons who were exposed in Part 1, but were being expressed by the rebellious associating with UBM. These demons were seeking to separate people from each other and from God by factious thoughts. If we don't want to be taken by the devil, we need to cast down vain imaginations from the accuser of the brethren. We are offered demonic thinking all the time through our thoughts. If we cast them down, there's no problem. They can do nothing with a person who won't depart from the Word, but if we entertain those thoughts, then the demons gain entrance. When a person starts rebelling against the Word, entertaining thoughts that are wrong against others, taking up a reproach against others, and so on, demons enter in because they have a right. The demons have been given a legal right by God to torment the person who is in rebellion against God. The first conversation I overheard was, “Don't you ever get tired of praying for the same thing over and over again?” Demons want to discourage us. If a person does not repent and believe the first time, they must pray again, but Satan would hinder them. Sometimes we do have to pray again because we got out of faith, we became double-minded. In such a case the Bible says, (Jas.1:6) But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. (7) For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. So we go back and pray again, because the Holy Spirit says, (Mat.7:7) Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: (8) for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If we become double-minded, we have to go back and pray and pray until that unbelief is gone and God's gift of faith comes. As long as you are walking in faith, remember that Jesus said, (Mar.11:24) Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. He desires that you would always pray by faith. His desire is that you pray just one time and receive it, but people can be unsure of what to ask or what God wants to give. When they can't speak in faith, God offers this second way. (Mat.7:7) Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: (8) for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Generally, this ends up where God gives you a gift of faith, and then you can make a stand. You know you “have received” as Jesus commanded. Many of the old-time preachers taught only this form of prayer; they called it “praying through.” They prayed until they got faith, then they stopped, knowing they had received their answer to prayer. Demons want to discourage you from continuing to ask for things that you don't necessarily believe you've received. They do not want you to endure until the end to see your faith manifested. They do not want the answer to come. Continuing. And the second conversation was, “These dreamers! Who do they think they are! They probably don't even hear from God! They're all liars! I'm so tired of hearing their names!” When people fall into faction, they no longer believe in dreams. As you know, dreams straighten people out by revealing those very demons, so they have to mute the prophetic voice because it destroys them, along with their words and works. That's one reason why demons put these thoughts in your head. Persons who become critical, receiving those thoughts, are accepting these demons into their minds and hearts. All of these ploys are an attempt by the demons to destroy your spiritual warfare ability against them. They want to “mute” you. The third conversation was, “I don't really have to confess my sins to anyone. God already knows them.” That sounds spiritual to some people, but in reality, it's just rebellion. The Holy Spirit instructs us, (Jas.5:16) Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working. Do it because God says, “Confess your sins one to another.” Don't listen to the demons. They want to talk you out of doing this because this is where you get delivered from your sin. (1Jn.1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If you keep cleaning up this trail behind you with confession of sin regularly, things don't build up to open a door for demons to take you out. Get into the habit of confessing any sin; being cleansed of all unrighteousness is important. And the fourth conversation was, “I'm so tired of hearing about the latter rain! Yeah, yeah. It's coming. They don't know what they're talking about! Let's see if it falls today? Chuckle! Chuckle! Chuckle!” Scoffers listen to unbelieving spirits and repeat what, in effect, may be their future. If they don't repent, they may have a future without the latter rain. It's bad enough to think something, and it's even worse to speak it. The latter rain is coming, but it may not be coming to such people. The devil obviously wants to inoculate anybody he can from the latter rain and the infilling of the Spirit. Some people are afraid of manifesting anything that has to do with the Holy Spirit, but there's no reason for us to fear the Holy Spirit. He will give you peace and joy and power; so, who put all that fear in their mind? What is it in them that is afraid to have the Holy Spirit? It's those demons. The demons make them afraid to have the Holy Spirit by telling them they'll look funny to the world and be rejected. They are in bondage to these spirits, which don't want the Holy Spirit in them. These spirits will war to make sure you'll get what you fear, if you give in to these thoughts and don't stick with the Scriptures. If you justify your fears, instead of justifying God and His Word, then you are going to have what you fear. And the fifth conversation was, “I hope when she finishes, we're not going to sing a whole bunch of songs. It's the same songs over and over. And I'm not raising my hands!” Why do we sing? Why do we raise our hands? Read Psalms 149 and 150, which are a command from the Lord to praise Him in these ways. The Lord says He takes joy in this praise, so we do it for the Lord, but anybody who is bound up by demons and afraid really can't get into singing or raising hands. It makes them miserable to do that. Why would a person feel miserable about people praising God with all their heart? It's because of the demon inside. The demon makes them miserable. Demons don't like the worship of God because the worship of God is powerful to set people free from demonic and human bondage. Those who love Him will praise the Lord with joy, but it's the demons that refuse and fear this praise. (Psa.147:1) Praise ye the Lord; For it is good to sing praises unto our God; For it is pleasant, [and] praise is comely. Amen! It's a good thing to sing praise to the Lord. (Isa.38:20) The Lord is [ready] to save me: Therefore we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the Lord. That's why we sing praise and do these other things, too. “I'm not raising my hands,” that demon had said, but the lifting up of hands in praise and prayer is commanded. Who are you going to obey? Who is it that doesn't want you to raise your hands? (1Ti.2:8) I desire therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and disputing. Don't argue with one another or criticize. Just lift up your hands, pray, and praise! (Psa.63:4) So will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. (Psa.134:2) Lift up your hands to the sanctuary, and bless ye the Lord. So it's in the Bible, but maybe you've been letting the devil talk you out of God's command to praise Him. And again, why is the devil so afraid? During praise, the demons are miserable and they'll try to make you miserable, too, because people get set free in the midst of praise; the Holy Spirit comes on them, and the demons start coming out of them while they're praising God. The sixth conversation was, “Don't you think they look like a bunch of imbeciles jumping and dancing around! That's fake!” Yes, the demons certainly wish it were fake. (Psa.149:3) Let them praise his name in the dance: Let them sing praises unto him with timbrel and harp. (Psa.150:4) Praise him with timbrel and dance: Praise him with stringed instruments and pipe. (Jer.31:13) Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy (That's a great promise, so go ahead and dance!), and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. Now let's read what God says to those who hate dancing before Him. (2Sa.6:16) And it was so, as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. (She wanted him to be dignified. I say sometimes in the assembly, “Now, don't get dignified on us here!”) (2Sa.6:20) Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to-day, who uncovered himself to-day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself! (21) And David said unto Michal, [It was] before the Lord, who chose me above thy father, and above all his house, to appoint me prince over the people of the Lord, over Israel: therefore will I play before the Lord. (22) And I will be yet more vile than this, and will be base in mine own sight: but of the handmaids of whom thou hast spoken, of them shall I be had in honor. (23) And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death. Her punishment for persecuting him for dancing before the Lord was that she bore no fruit, but the latter rain anointing will come and set many free. (Joe.2:23) Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for he giveth you the former rain in just measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first [month]. They will be free to worship God as He asks, because (Joh.4:24) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth. God seeks such to worship Him, and who would not love Him for all that He's done for us? The Lord is either saving these people or He's weeding them out so that a little leaven doesn't leaven the whole lump (1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9). Do you remember the “mixed multitude” (Exodus 12:38; Numbers 11:4; Nehemiah 13:3)? They were the ones who were part, the people of God and part Egyptian, and they died in the wilderness (Numbers 14:30). They couldn't go to the Promised Land. We still have the mixed multitudes in our churches today, just like when the Jews came out of Egypt, and they're still a stumbling block (Exodus 17:3; Numbers 14:2,16:41; etc.) If you are someone who is afraid to worship God freely, don't deny the Lord by denying His Word. We've just looked at what God commands. Read His warning: (Rom.3:3) For what if some were without faith? shall their want of faith make of none effect the faithfulness of God? (4) God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy words, And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment. Confess your sins, and forgive everyone from the present time all the way back to your youth. The Lord will empower you to be as you should be, an obedient servant to these words. The Holy Spirit is soon to be poured out in a miraculous way to set the captives free. He's going to empower you to walk under the Blood, so that you may have a passover of the death and destruction which is about to come upon this world. People who are bound up by demon spirits need to be set free. That's why the Holy Spirit is given, so don't deny the Word. Don't deny the Holy Spirit. You don't have to be in a church to pray and ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will set you free, and you will enjoy being free. One of the biggest plagues in this country is that people are bound up by rejection and fear of rejection. (Joh.8:31) Jesus therefore said to those Jews that had believed him, If ye abide in my word, [then] are ye truly my disciples; (32) and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Do not deny the truth. You are denying the Lord if you deny the truth and listen to these lying spirits. Instead, justify God and confess Him before men. When the time comes, He will pour out His Spirit on you and set you free. Back to the dream: When I heard all that, I turned my head and saw a walrus, rats, wolves, and mockers. I was so grieved that I actually bit my lower lip hard! I turned and looked at David. He said quietly, “S, stop this infiltration, pray now!” In other words, pray to stop the infiltration of demonic thoughts that hinder people from receiving what God commands. In effect, these demons are stopping people from receiving and taking God's Word to heart, but when God says to pray, He plans on answering. To confirm the dream, she got Romans 8:8 and 9:14. These were from the Lord by faith at random. (Rom.8:8) And they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (9) But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. (You want the Spirit of God to dwell in you so that you're “not in the flesh but in the Spirit,” and yes, those people who are dancing around and praising God are in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has set them free from their bondage.) But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. When you are born-again, you receive the Spirit of Christ. Then you invite the Holy Spirit to come in, like Christ had in His Spirit. In other words, after you are born-again, you invite the Holy Spirit to come into your now clean temple, your Holy of Holies, the place of the Presence of the Spirit of God. (Rom.8:10) And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. (If you're born-again, the body might be dead, but your spirit is alive.) (Rom.8:11) But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you (This is the Holy Spirit. This is not the same thing as your spirit.), he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Now you have life in your body. Praise be to God! It's a blessing to obey God and be filled with His Spirit, but if you are bound up, you need to ask Him for mercy. (Rom.9:14) What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. (15) For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. (16) So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy. One of the prayers I've seen God answer the quickest is to ask for His mercy. It's something we don't deserve, but He answers it quickly. (Jas.4:10) Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you. These binding spirits make you proud, and then you don't want to humble yourself before others, and you don't want to bow before God. (Jas.4:6) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore [the scripture] saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. A proud person needs to repent before they can receive. (Rom.9:17) For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth. (Pharaoh wasn't going to let God's people go from bondage. This is just like a lot of demons that keep God's people in bondage. The demons don't want to let people go.) (18) So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will be hardeneth. (If a person is stubborn and self-willed, the Lord may just harden them. Humble yourself before God. Confess your sin before Him. Now you know what kind of worship God expects from His people. Now you know what kind of prayer God expects from His people. Humble yourself before the Word of the Lord, and don't deny the Word, or you may never see the Holy Spirit.) (Rom.9:19) Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will? (Yes, it's better to cry out for mercy!) (20) Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus? (21) Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? It's not wrong to ask God to make you into a vessel of honor. It's not wrong to ask Him to work in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. It's not wrong to ask Him to work in you a will to pray the prayers that you should pray. You should humble yourself before Him and ask for His mercy in giving you the Holy Spirit. (Rom.9:22) What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction: (23) and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory (Think about these vessels full of God's mercy. Can He do it for you? Well, that's the whole nature of mercy. Yes, He can do it for you. You don't deserve it. You can't talk Him into it, but you can humble yourself before Him and ask.), (24) [even] us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles? (25) As he saith also in Hosea, I will call that my people, which was not my people; And her beloved, that was not beloved. (Even if you thought that He didn't love you, God can do that.) (Rom.9:26) And it shall be, [that] in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, There shall they be called sons of the living God. Wow! That's what mercy can do for you. Humble yourself before God and ask for mercy. Ask people to pray for you. Do not try to fight this battle on your own. I'm not saying that you can't win it on your own. I'm just saying to ask for help because that's humbling, too. A lot of people get answers because they are just humble enough to ask, and “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.” (Rom.9:27) And Isaiah crieth concerning Israel, If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved: (28) for the Lord will execute [his] word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short. (29) And, as Isaiah hath said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We had become as Sodom, and had been made like unto Gomorrah. (30) What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who followed not after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. After dreaming “The Invasion of the ‘Stupid' Demons,” Part 2, S.S. asked the Lord, “What is it going to take to get these people focused on you?” Her finger landed on (Mat.27:54) Now the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. There are some earthquakes coming that are going to cause great revival and bring a fear of the Lord to God's people. They would never think such a thing could happen in America because it's always been so insulated due to God's grace, but He's going to bring a lot of people to repentance. What is the answer here to the question S.S. asked? The answer is the crucified Man-child and his resurrection to the throne. Praise be to God! Let's pray. Father, we ask that You do miraculously. We ask that you send revival and set the captives free. Give us revelation about who it is that's speaking so foolishly in our minds to turn Your people away from the truth. If or when we are victims, Lord, let us know why. In Your mercy, Father, reveal to us when we are proud or unrepentant, stubborn or self-willed. But You came to save us, Lord. We ask and thank You for salvation. We ask for Your mercy and grace. We humble ourselves and ask. Father, please pour out Your Spirit! We see people who need and want You, but inwardly are afraid. The psalmist David said, (Psa.34:4) I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. Lord, put it in our hearts to seek You for doing this thing. Deliver us from all fears. Father, for those who are captive to Satan's fear, have mercy! Send Your faith into their hearts. Speak to them in dreams, visions, and words from Scripture. Encourage them to put their trust in You, Lord. Let them know that You will set the captives free, Father! O' Lord, fill them mightily with Your Holy Spirit. Your Holy Spirit will empower them to walk contrary to Satan and his demons. Your Holy Spirit will enable them to kick the devils out! Thank You, Father, for everything that You are doing for Your people in these days. Thanks to Your Son's work on the Cross, we are already victors! Thank You for helping us live the victory! Now, let me share this testimony with you by S. D.   Son Set Free From Devil Worship by S.D.   When my son was eleven years old, I had a dream that I saw him on one side of a large, bottomless hole. I was on the other side, barely hanging on to my wife with my right arm while she was inside the hole. Then I saw a large snake come at him from behind… But he fought it like a great karate fighter, blocking every attack. Then he grabbed it and swung it around his head, around and around, throwing the snake down the hole. When I saw this fight, I got ten times stronger! With my right hand, I pulled my wife up and out of the hole to stand on her feet with ease. For fifteen years, he became a devil worshiper (he called himself a “pagan”), a vampire and a wizard. I would get reports, but I'd always say, “Yeah. But I had that dream he's going to beat that snake.” His sisters said he told them he wanted to kill me. But I would say, “Nope, I had that dream.” Then they said he might go to jail. And I said, “Well, if he does, he'll get out. I had that dream.” He would walk around with long fingernails and wild hair. He would break tables and glass with his bare hands. He sought after the “Dark Book of Knowledge,” as he called it. This year, he beat that “snake.” He quit all that pagan worshiping. At the same time, I found your website. Now I'm ten times stronger with more wisdom and knowledge than I've ever had in my life. Now my son and I are friends. I gave him my Bible and some of your site's teachings. I asked the Lord, “How did all this start? How did he get so carried away with the devil?” We had raised him in church all his life. The Lord answered saying, “It was the comic books.” And then I remembered he did have a fascination with them. I had wanted to say “no,” but everybody had said it was OK. As his father, I had to repent for not keeping him safe. I should have foreseen the evil in them. I apologized and told him, “Son, it was the comic books. Please forgive me.” Demonic thoughts can have the same effect. More or less every lost person has the same problem. The cure is “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Our computers have a virus called sin. It must be thrown out by knowledge of the Word of God.

While praying, he was often seen to reach towards heaven like an arrow which has been shot from a taut bow straight upwards into the sky. He would stand with hands outstretched above his head and joined together, or at times slightly separated as if about to receive something from heaven. One would believe that he was receiving an increase of grace and in this rapture of spirit was asking God for the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the Order he had founded. He seemed to seek for himself and his brethren something of that transcendent joy which is found in living the beatitudes, praying that each would consider himself truly blessed in extreme poverty, in bitter mourning, in cruel persecutions, in a great hunger and thirst for justice, in anxious mercy towards all. His entreaty was that his children would find their delight in observing the commandments and in the perfect practice of the evangelical counsels. Enraptured, the holy father then appeared to have entered into the Holy of Holies and the Third Heaven. After prayer of this kind he truly seemed to be a prophet, whether in correcting the faulty, in directing others, or in his preaching. Our holy father did not remain at prayer of this type very long but gradually regained full possession of his faculties. He looked during that time like a person coming from a great distance or like a stranger in this world, as could easily be discerned from his countenance and manner. The brethren would then hear him praying aloud and saying as the prophet: "Hear, O Lord, the voice of my supplication which I pray to thee, when I lift up my hands to thy holy temple" (Ps. 27:2). Through his words and holy example he constantly taught the friars to pray in this way, often repeating those phrases from the psalms: "Behold, now bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord ... in the nights lift up your hands to the holy places, and bless ye the Lord" (Ps. 133:1-3), "I have cried to thee, O Lord, hear me; hearken to my voice when I cry to thee. Let my prayer be directed as incense in they sight; the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice" (Ps. 140:1-2). The drawing shows us this mode of prayer so that we may better understand it. The post The Ninth Way – The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

What happens when God finally decides enough is enough? In this sobering journey through Ezekiel 11-12, we witness one of the most haunting scenes in scripture: the moment God's glory abandons Jerusalem.The vision begins with the God's Shekina glory presence departing from the temple - first from the Holy of Holies to the front of the temple building, then to the outer court, through the east gate, and finally resting on the Mount of Olives before disappearing. This progressive withdrawal symbolized the removal of God's protection before Jerusalem's destruction by Babylonian forces.We explore how this ancient vision connects profoundly to Jesus Christ, who would later enter Jerusalem from that same Mount of Olives, effectively bringing God's glory back to the temple, only to ascend from that same mountain after His resurrection with the promise to return one day.Ezekiel is commanded to perform a strange prophetic action - packing exile baggage in daylight, digging through his wall at night, covering his face, and departing in darkness. This bizarre behavior precisely prefigured how King Zedekiah would attempt to escape Jerusalem during the Babylonian siege, only to be captured, blinded, and taken to "Babylon, though he would not see it" - a prophecy fulfilled with chilling accuracy.Most striking is God's response to people claiming these warnings were for the distant future: "None of my words will be delayed any longer." The repeated refrain "then you will know that I am the LORD" serves as both warning and promise - some recognize God's sovereignty through mercy, others only through judgment.This episode challenges us to consider: are we listening to false messages of peace and prosperity while ignoring divine warnings? The glory that departed Jerusalem will once again return in Jesus Christ. Are we ready for His final return?Support the showThank you for listening!! Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

In this lesson, we explore the dramatic moment in John chapter 2 when Jesus clears the Temple courts. What provoked such zeal from the Prince of Peace? One possible answer lies in something called the Soreg—a dividing wall in the Second Temple that separated Gentiles from the inner courts of worship. The penalty for crossing it? Death. In Jesus' day, this physical barrier symbolized deeper religious and cultural divisions, born from centuries of foreign intrusion—Antiochus Epiphanes desecrating the sanctuary, Pompey entering the Holy of Holies, Pilate defiling the gates with Roman symbols. In response, the people erected barriers—both physical and spiritual. And in many ways, we do the same today. As secular culture presses in, some churches lock down, creating their own modern-day Soregs to protect what they believe is sacred. But in doing so, are we possibly excluding the very people God wants to welcome in? Join us as we examine: - The historical and religious meaning of the Soreg - How Jesus' actions challenge a fortress mentality - Paul's message in Ephesians 2 about tearing down the dividing wall of hostility This lesson will challenge us to reflect on our own attitudes and how we use Scripture: Do we build walls that divide—or doors that invite? --------------------------------------------------- www.figtreeteaching.com Join the Fig Tree Coffee Club: https://www.figtreeteaching.com/store/p3/Fig_Tree_Coffee_Club.html Support Fig Tree Ministries: https://donorbox.org/support-figtree-ministries Fig Tree Amazon Portal: https://amzn.to/3USMelI Lesson Handout: https://www.figtreeteaching.com/blog/the-dividing-wall-of-hostility Soreg Handout: https://www.figtreeteaching.com/blog/the-dividing-wall-of-hostility Article - "Destroy This Temple" - The Messianic Promise of Rebuilding https://www.figtreeteaching.com/uploads/1/1/9/7/119763168/fig_tree_ministries_article_background_to_john_2_18_19.pdf YouTube: https://youtu.be/BifAsBGBO8E

What happens when God's patience reaches its limit? Ezekiel chapters 9 and 10 deliver one of Scripture's most sobering messages—the departure of God's glory from the temple and the subsequent judgment on Jerusalem. This powerful, often-overlooked passage reveals crucial spiritual principles that remain startlingly relevant today.The vision begins with God marking those who mourned over Jerusalem's idolatry for protection, while commanding judgment on everyone else. The Israelites had adopted horrific practices including child sacrifice, turned their backs on God's prophets, and mixed pagan worship with true worship despite centuries of warnings. This historical context helps us understand God's severe response.Most striking is the progressive departure of God's glory—moving from the Holy of Holies, to the temple threshold, and eventually out of Jerusalem entirely to the Mount of Olives. This symbolic withdrawal of divine blessing and protection carries profound theological significance, connecting to Christ's later movements in the same locations. The burning of Jerusalem with coals from God's throne represented both punishment and purification, fulfilled historically through the Babylonian conquest.For today's believers, these ancient warnings speak directly to our churches. When we incorporate worldly values into worship, prioritize cultural relevance over biblical truth, or focus worship on ourselves rather than God, we risk the same spiritual judgment. "We have churches in our day doing the exact same thing," the hosts observe, noting how easily we can justify compromise that seems good but contradicts God's Word.Despite its severity, Ezekiel's message reminds us that God distinguishes between those who embrace sin and those who grieve over it. He knows His children and protects them even amid judgment. While God's patience is vast, it isn't endless—a sobering reality we must acknowledge while there's still opportunity to return to authentic worship and obedience.What's the state of your heart toward God today? Are you grieving over compromise or embracing it? This challenging episode invites honest reflection on our worship, our churches, and our personal walk with a God who is both merciful and holy.Support the showThank you for listening!! Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Fr. William Rock, FSSP serves as Parochial Vicar at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Nashua, New Hampshire. He was ordained in October of 2019 and serves as a regular contributor to the FSSP North America Missive Blog. In Today's Show: Why are the three Archangels also given the title of, "Saint?"  Aren't all the other saints human beings?  Is there some specific reason for them to hold both titles?  Does it have something to do with their function in the Kingdom of God? How do we store up “treasures in heaven?” Other than Job, is there someone else that God tested, even to the point of punishment? Since Father Rock is the liturgy expert here... what's his favorite nerdy liturgical fact? Invincible ignorance as it pertains to Protestants What is the Catholic teaching on Acts 10:38, which appears to suggest that Jesus was empowered by God the Father rather than having innate divine power himself? I am elderly and cannot drive. Is it a sin for me to miss Mass? How do we respond to Protestants who say that John 3:5 is about labor water and not baptism? What are some acts of sacrifice/penance we should do daily? Is it wrong to use substitutes for the Holy names of Jesus or Mary to avoid using them in vain? What are the origins of the English language originally going with the Germanic “Holy Ghost” v. “Holy Spirit” ? Is “Spirit” a closer Latin translation? Why does the Bible say that there is a better chance for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than a rich man enter the kingdom of God? Who determines how much money is “too much” or how can we judge that? Regarding final grace of conversion for sinners in mortal sin, is there a conflict between the Divine Mercy message given to St. Faustina, and the teaching of St. Alphonsus Ligouri, a Doctor of the Church? When it's stated that St. John the Baptist was sanctified in his mother's womb, what does that mean. How is he different from other saints? We read in Matthew 27: 51-53 how, when Jesus died, there was an earthquake, rocks were split, the curtain concealing the Holy of Holies in the Temple was torn from top to bottom, and that, "The bodies of many saints who had died were raised to life." Who were these saints being referenced? Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

Daily Dose of Hope July 22, 2025   Scripture - Matthew 27:32-56   Prayer:  Holy and Perfect God, Thank you for your divine plan.  Thank you for not giving up on your people and sending Jesus.  Your love and care for us is hard to comprehend.  Help us be a better reflection of your love in all we do.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are diving into part two of Matthew 27, which includes the crucifixion and the death of Jesus.   Let's start with the crucifixion.  Matthew has a lot of detail.  We meet Simon of Cyrene who was forced to carry Jesus' cross.  While Simon certainly had no choice in the matter, I'm guessing his life was never the same after that.  He had carried the cross for the Savior of the world.  Jesus is offered wine with gall (which was very bitter and possibly offered to dull pain) but he tastes it and then refuses it.  His clothes are divided among the soldiers.  A sign is placed above him that says, “King of the Jews.”  And then there are all the insults hurled at him, from passers-by but also from those crucified next to him.  So much humiliation.   However, for those who witness Jesus' actual death, it is life-changing.  The sky gets dark and Jesus cries out the first line of Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” At the time, people would reference a psalm by stating the first line and the rest of the psalm would be assumed.  Psalm 22 was written by David, and it's a psalm that expresses abandonment and despair in the face of sorrow.    But this leads to some questions.  Did Jesus really feel abandoned by God at that moment on the cross?  I mentioned this in when we discussed Mark 15 and I think it's important to emphasize again. By quoting Psalm 22, Jesus is actually expressing confidence in the face of suffering.  He is trusting that God will ultimately deliver him. We gain confidence in this interpretation because it is faithful to our understanding of the Trinity as inseparable - one part of the Godhead can't abandon another part of the Godhead.  There is also a distinct union of Jesus' divine and human natures.  All of this comes together on the cross.  Let's read Psalm 22, verses 1-8...   My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?    Why are you so far from saving me,    so far from my cries of anguish? 2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,    by night, but I find no rest. 3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;    you are the one Israel praises. 4 In you our ancestors put their trust;    they trusted and you delivered them.5 To you they cried out and were saved;    in you they trusted and were not put to shame. 6 But I am a worm and not a man,    scorned by everyone, despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me;    they hurl insults, shaking their heads. 8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,    “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him,    since he delights in him.” And as the psalm continues (it is a bit long to real in full here), we see how the psalmist begins to express trust in the Lord and praise his name.  He knows that God will deliver him.  The bottom line seems to be that on the cross, Jesus bore the weight of our sin as the Son of God, but the Father did not literally abandon him, as that would divide the Trinity and undermine Christ's saving work.  Jesus knew that God would deliver him but also provide a way to deliver the whole world.  Right before Jesus breathed his last breath on the cross, the curtain in the Temple was torn down the middle. This is the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (the Holiest of Holies) where the ark of the covenant was kept and the presence of God remained. When the curtain tore, it was a sign that the New Covenant was instituted. Because of Jesus' sacrifice (the final sacrifice for sin), those who believe in him can now go directly to the throne of God's grace. When holy God looks at us, he doesn't see our sinfulness but the blood of Christ. Thus, there are no more barriers that can separate us from God.  Hebrews 10 refers to this incredible phenomena...   Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:19-22   Matthew also adds that when Jesus died, the earth also shook and that some who were already dead were brought back to life. The centurion who was guarding the tomb declared that this man, Jesus, must have been the Son of God.   There are two questions that are important to answer when discussing today's topic: Why was Jesus killed? and then, Why did Jesus die? They are both critical questions and the answers are different. I'm going to keep this brief but I want to at least address this.    Why was Jesus killed?  Well, a number of groups colluded to kill him.  First, Jesus was killed because the Jewish leaders felt threatened by him.  They feared him.  He threatened all they thought was right and they were unwilling to open their minds to God doing something differently.  They refused to believe that he was the Messiah, or we could say he wasn't the kind of Messiah that they were expecting.  And they didn't like the way he had the support of the common people.  But let's be clear, Jesus was also killed because his crucifixion was a political act by the Romans.  They didn't want anyone out there claiming to be king of the Jews.  They wanted to ensure that the only one with authority was the Roman government.   Now, why did Jesus die?  That's a whole different question.  Jesus died so that we could be cleansed of sin and walk intimately with a holy God.  Jesus, fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, became the final sacrifice for all sin for all time.  Ever since the fall, God had been on a mission to redeem the world.  The Law was part of that but the people could not keep the Law.  What the Law did was demonstrate how broken, flawed, and sinful us humans really are.  Something much more drastic was needed.  So, God sent Jesus.    Jesus was God with flesh on.  When we say that Jesus is the Son of God, that means that he was the second person of the Trinity, God himself.  He came to earth to live among us and demonstrate to us a new way of doing life, one in which God reigns as King.  Everything Jesus did – his whole life as well as his death and resurrection, was intended to demonstrate the fundamental values of God's Kingdom.  Of course, one of those values was love.  Jesus was and is love.  We see this on the cross.  We've read about all the human actions that led to the cross but this was God's divine plan.  Jesus knew it had to happen.  Jesus knew this was the only way.  So he went voluntarily to the cross.  He was God and he could have called a legion of angels down to save him.  But he didn't.  He went through with all the humiliation and torture.  For us.  For all of us.  He died for us.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

What was inside the Holy of Holies?Did Solomon make adjustments to the Ark of the Covenant?What was inside the Ark of the Covenant?

Only once in the whole year could the high priest of Israel enter the Holy of Holies to approach the fearsome presence of a holy God: the Day of Atonement. Today, Barry Cooper explains what this day revealed about the depth of our guilt and how it pointed forward to a greater day when the sin of God's people would be dealt with forever. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/simply-put/the-day-of-atonement/ Study Reformed theology with a free resource bundle from Ligonier Ministries: https://grow.ligonier.org/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts