Gold lid placed on the Ark of the Covenant
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BezalielIn my exploration of angels, there is an angel that has avoided being named to me until now. What I've been finding out is that he is the most misunderstood, shunned creature of God out there. With nicknames like, "Shadow of God" is it any wonder why this angel is surrounded by controversy. Is he a fallen angel? Or one of the Seraphim order doing God's work in secret? Did he in fact build the Ark of the Covenant?Seeking more information, I found it on YouTube.Myth Cast from YouTube asks...What if there was an angel so mysterious, so powerful and so hidden...that even Heaven and Hell don't fully understand him? Meet Bezaliel - the 13th Watcher and Angel of Shadows. In their short video linked in the show notes, they say that Bezaliel is mentioned as one of the Watchers, the 13th Watcher to be specific. Because of the nature of his work, he is not accepted in Heaven or Hell, and is begrudgingly envied by the other angels for the secret tasks he sets about doing for God, in the name of God.Mentioned in the Book of Enoch, a book banned from the conventional bible, he is a figure of great mystery and intrigue.More from Reddit:His features are shrouded in darkness by a cloak that he wears at all times, and no method thus far has been able to reveal his face. He carries a sword that no one has ever seen him unsheathe, and a book that no one else has ever read, neither of which can be opened by any person besides him. Neither of these were present at the time of his fall, which confuses angels and demons alike.Bezaliel can manipulate darkness, and he can make it tangible and very, very deadly. He can also summon shades and compel them to do his bidding. Lastly, he can teleport between areas of shadow, and become nearly invisible within them (though looking carefully enough will show that something is there).Bezaliel speaks tersely, using few words and short sentences - not because he's stupid, but because he dislikes wasting time. He will serve any demon or human who can offer him a fair deal, but he also has a talent for making the other person regret it somehow.Bezaliel's true goal is unclear to everyone else, as he has favored both Heaven and Hell at times. But it is clear that he has some plan, and that his actions have taken on a new urgency since the Hazbin Hotel opened, and IMP grew to a bustling business.Show Sources:Bezaliel, the Fallen Angel of Shadows, Myth Cast, YouTubeBezaliel: The Intriguing Study of a Fallen Angel, Digital BibleBezalel (their spelling) on WikipediaThe Complete Book of EnochArk of the Covenant, Pastor Russell Mckinney's blog Art Bell, location of the Ark of the CovenantNick Cave, Mercy Seat, YouTubeSend us Fan MailIf you are searching for a fresh, binge-able podcast, this might be the one for you!Support the showSupport Curious Cat, an independent, human-made podcast!***Curious Cat Podcast on Substack!***Buy Curious Cat Podcast a Coffee!
Thank you for listening! Here are some ways to learn more and stay connected!New To Faith? Visit our New To Faith page!Learn more about Pastor Derek NeiderFollow Derek on Instagramor FacebookSubscribe to email.Subscribe to the daily devotionalExplore recent messagesThis podcast was created by Pastor Derek Neider as a ministry of Awaken Las Vegas. Visit our website!We are located at 7175 W. Oquendo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89113. Our gathering times are 9am & 11am Sundays and 6:30pm Thursdays.
Grab a hot beverage. Open your bible. And, join us for a rich bible study on God’s mercy. May God bless you as you engage in worship. If you would be so kind, please let us know how this message impacted your faith. If you have any questions or would like to speak directly with Pastor Bob, please reach out to us. If you’d like to contribute to the ongoing ministry of Two Rivers Community Church of the Nazarene please use this link: paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/64291
Joshua BoydThe Ark of the CovenantThe tabernacle was never merely an ancient tent or a collection of religious artifacts. It was a God-designed shadow of heavenly realities, revealing His desire to dwell among His people. In this message, we explore the significance of the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat, discovering how every detail ultimately points to Jesus Christ and our relationship with God today. Why the earthly tabernacle was built as a copy of the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 8). The Ark of the Covenant as the sacred container of God's covenant with Israel. The significance of the Mercy Seat (Place of Atonement) as the meeting place between God and man. Why the cherubim over the Ark reflect the worship surrounding God's throne in heaven. How Revelation provides a glimpse into the heavenly temple and God's throne room. Why the tabernacle emphasizes honor—honoring God's presence, covenant, and holiness. The connection between the Old Covenant sacrifices and Christ's once-for-all sacrifice. What it means that believers are now God's temple, with His covenant written on our hearts. How grace provides access to God while still calling us to holy living and faithful obedience. Key Scriptures Hebrews 8:1–5 Exodus 24–25 Revelation 4 Revelation 11:19 Hebrews 10:15–18 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 1 John 1:9 Key Takeaways The tabernacle reveals God's desire to live among His people. The Ark was valuable because it contained God's covenant—not simply because it was covered in gold. The Mercy Seat demonstrates that access to God has always been through atonement. Every feature of the tabernacle foreshadows the finished work of Jesus Christ. The New Covenant moves God's law from tablets of stone to transformed hearts. As believers, we are now God's temple and are called to honor His presence in every area of life. Grace removes the need for repeated sacrifices but never removes our responsibility to pursue holiness. When we honor what God honors, we position ourselves to experience His presence, guidance, and transforming power. Bottom Line: The tabernacle wasn't designed to highlight rituals—it was designed to reveal relationship. Through Jesus, the way into God's presence has been opened, and His covenant now lives within us. As God's temple, we are called to honor Him by living holy lives that reflect His presence to the world.
Today we explore the significance of the mercy seat in Exodus, establishing it as the place where God meets His people and provides atonement for sin. By examining the Old Testament rituals involving the Ark of the Covenant and the high priest's yearly entry into the Holy of Holies, the message highlights humanity's inherent guilt and separation from a holy God. I show how to connect these ancient symbols to the New Testament revelation that Jesus Christ is the ultimate propitiation, fulfilling the law through His perfect sacrifice. This fulfillment grants believers direct access to God without the need for physical rituals or repeated offerings. The central call urges listeners to respond in faith, recognizing that God has purposefully provided a way for reconciliation through the blood of Christ.
In this moving exploration of divine restoration, Derek Peters traces the metaphor of the two-edged sword from the gates of Eden to the empty tomb of Jesus. He explains that the flaming sword, which initially guarded the way to the Tree of Life, was never intended to be an instrument of permanent exclusion, but rather a protection of the way back to a right relationship with God. By connecting the cherubim at the garden's entrance to those atop the Mercy Seat and finally to the angels at the resurrection, the sermon illustrates how God surgically uses His Word to cut away the "I am not" narratives of shame and inadequacy that hinder the believer. Ultimately, the message serves as a warm invitation for every person to stop hiding in the shadows of their failures and instead embrace their true identity in Christ, moving from a life of striving into a deep, abiding rest found in the Father's extravagant love.Referenced Scriptures:Genesis 1:26Genesis 3:21-24Exodus 25:17-22John 20:11-17Philippians 1:6Hebrews 4:9-16John 15:7
(Hebrews 9:2-5, 11-12; 10:12-13) What if the safest, most intimate place with God is closer than you think? In this final episode of the Fully Furnished series, discover how the Mercy Seat points to Jesus Christ, who covers our sin with His blood and invites us into daily fellowship at the throne of grace. (10140260612) Join Scott Pauley's study through Scripture this year. Find resources for every book of the Bible by Dr. Pauley and Enjoying the Journey at enjoyingthejourney.org/journey-through-scripture/. Whether you're a new believer or have walked with the Lord for years, you'll find thousands of free devotionals, Bible studies, audio series, and Scripture tools designed to strengthen your faith, deepen your understanding of the Bible, and help you stay rooted in the Word of God. Explore now at EnjoyingTheJourney.org. Extend the Work Enjoying the Journey provides every resource for free worldwide. If you would like to help extend this Bible teaching, you may give at enjoyingthejourney.org/donations/
(Exodus 25:10-11, 16:22) Today's study of the furniture of the tabernacle takes us beyond the veil into the Holy of Holies to the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat. Discover how this sacred space pictures Jesus Christ as our Propitiation — the covering for our sin, the place where God meets with us, and the reason we can receive mercy instead of judgment. Don't miss the Mercy Seat. Don't miss Jesus! (10138260610) Join Scott Pauley's study through Scripture this year. Find resources for every book of the Bible by Dr. Pauley and Enjoying the Journey at enjoyingthejourney.org/journey-through-scripture/. Whether you're a new believer or have walked with the Lord for years, you'll find thousands of free devotionals, Bible studies, audio series, and Scripture tools designed to strengthen your faith, deepen your understanding of the Bible, and help you stay rooted in the Word of God. Explore now at EnjoyingTheJourney.org. Extend the Work Enjoying the Journey provides every resource for free worldwide. If you would like to help extend this Bible teaching, you may give at enjoyingthejourney.org/donations/
Pastor Timothy shows that through God’s Mediator, God forgives and removes our sins, restoring us– and ultimately all creation– to dwell in his presence.
In Week 20 of our FOLLOW series through Exodus, guest preacher George Flees walks through Exodus 25 and the beginning of God's instructions for the Tabernacle.Why did God ask Israel to build a sanctuary? Why were the offerings voluntary? What was the purpose of the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat? And how does the Tabernacle ultimately point us to Jesus?This message explores:God's desire to dwell with His peopleThe heart of willing worship and generous givingThe meaning of the Ark of the CovenantThe purpose of the Mercy Seat and blood atonementJesus as the true and final meeting place between God and humanityThe assurance of salvation through ChristFrom Mount Sinai to the Tabernacle to the cross of Christ, Exodus 25 reveals a God who desires relationship, communion, and nearness with His people.
This weekend our worship service emphasizes one of the blessings of Christ's resurrection, the privilege and power of prayer. Our hymn, "Approach, My Soul, the Mercy Seat" is a hymn by John Newton about prayer. Jesus invites us: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) In our lives in this fallen world we are going to face trials. Our sin, Satan, and thing outside of us and inside of us threaten us, often cause us to despair. David writes: "There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds are foul and festering Because of my foolishness. I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long." (Psalm 38:4-7) For this reason we come to Jesus knowing what He has done for us! Newton writes: O wondrous Love, to bleed and die, To bear the cross and shame, That guilty sinners such as I Might plead Thy gracious Name! Thanks be to Jesus for all He has done for us through His life and death!
“A Better Tabernacle - The Cherubim and The Mercy Seat” • Hebrews 9:5 – Elder Bryce Lowrance Part of understanding how Jesus is a better tabernacle than the one Moses built is to see how all of the elements and ceremonies in the old tabernacle pointed toward the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. In this sermon, Elder Bryce shows the wonders of the omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence of God represented in the Cherubim over the ark. One of the most amazing things to see in this image is that all the power of God looks at the mercy seat for justification. This image shows that God sees salvation complete in His Son. Our hope is in the finished work of Jesus Chris plus nothing. Part 2 rejoins the sermon in progress where the cherubim are being seen as the chariot of God in the Psalms and in Ezekiel. This message was preached on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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“A Better Tabernacle - The Cherubim and The Mercy Seat” • Hebrews 9:5 – Elder Bryce Lowrance Part of understanding how Jesus is a better tabernacle than the one Moses built is to see how all of the elements and ceremonies in the old tabernacle pointed toward the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. In this sermon, Elder Bryce shows the wonders of the omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence of God represented in the Cherubim over the ark. One of the most amazing things to see in this image is that all the power of God looks at the mercy seat for justification. This image shows that God sees salvation complete in His Son. Our hope is in the finished work of Jesus Chris plus nothing. This message was preached on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
Romans 3:21-31 – Jesus is the Mercy Seat, the place of atonement where we come into contact with God. Exodus 25:17, 21, 22 The post 4/26/26 — The Mercy Seat appeared first on Eugene Church of Christ.
Matt Trewhella is the pastor for Mercy Seat Christian Church, and the founder of Missionaries to the Preborn and Defy Tyrants. Mercy Seat: https://mercyseat.net/ Defy Tyrants: https://defytyrants.com/ Missionaries to the Preborn: https://missionariestothepreborn.com www.worldviewmatters.tv © FreedomProject 2026
There had never been a man like Jesus when he came into the earth. John called Him the WORD made flesh. The Holy Ghost was poured out upon Him without measure. He was God inside and out. Consider the picture of the Ark of the Covenant gold on the inside and gold on the outside. Here this ark was the picture of Christ, who carried the Word and Presence of God. In the ark was the Word. On the outside of the Ark the Presence of God rested on the Mercy Seat. Here is Christ, our seat of Mercy. Here is where the Presence rests in the finished work of Jesus!!! Pastor Wayne & Anita Shelton New Life Tabernacle 540-214-8181 awayne_shelton@icloud.com
This message dives into the power of faith and the spiritual alignment that occurs at the mercy seat—the symbolic place where God meets humanity in the Bible. Pastor Shane explores how believers can approach God with confidence, understanding that faith unlocks access to divine intervention, favor, and purpose.Overview:A teaching designed to inspire believers to step fully into faith, recognizing that God's mercy and power are accessible right now, in this “place” of spiritual alignment.“Being a Pastor is one of the biggest honors GOD can give. … One thing I've learned is..Being a lover and nurturer of “Faith” is NOT passive! #HEHASRISEN is so much more than a hashtag or hangtag for a windshield.It's an active agreement with God's promises.” - Pastor Shane Sorrels
Dr. Roger L. Smith explores the profound significance of Jesus Christ’s resurrection, framing it as the fulfillment of Old Testament types and shadows. Dr. Smith draws detailed parallels between Christ and the Ark of the Covenant, identifying Jesus as the ultimate "mercy seat" (hilasterion). By comparing the Ark’s physical components—the manna, the law, and the budding staff—to Christ’s roles as the Bread of Life, the Word made flesh, and the risen High Priest, the message illustrates how ancient rituals transitioned into a living reality. Dr. Smith emphasizes that through the resurrection, God’s presence is no longer hidden or inaccessible. Ultimately, the document serves as a call to faith, asserting that eternal salvation is available to everyone through the grace and mediation of Jesus Christ.
Dr. Roger L. Smith explores the profound significance of Jesus Christ’s resurrection, framing it as the fulfillment of Old Testament types and shadows. Dr. Smith draws detailed parallels between Christ and the Ark of the Covenant, identifying Jesus as the ultimate "mercy seat" (hilasterion). By comparing the Ark’s physical components—the manna, the law, and the budding staff—to Christ’s roles as the Bread of Life, the Word made flesh, and the risen High Priest, the message illustrates how ancient rituals transitioned into a living reality. Dr. Smith emphasizes that through the resurrection, God’s presence is no longer hidden or inaccessible. Ultimately, the document serves as a call to faith, asserting that eternal salvation is available to everyone through the grace and mediation of Jesus Christ.
In John 20:11-18, we learn that the resurrection was the beginning of the better Mercy Seat, of the death of death, and of our transformation.
Hosts Pastor Robert Baltodano and Pastor Lloyd Pulley Question Timestamps: Carrie, YouTube (2:14) - Did Jesus ascend to the Father to get His glorified body and put His blood on the Mercy Seat? Thomas, HI (4:28) - What was the main sin of Sodom and Gomorrah? Was it a lack of compassion for the poor? Does this reflect the American church? Paul, VA (10:01) - Where in the Bible does it describe that sacrifices will happen in the millennial kingdom? Why will there be sacrifices in the millennial kingdom? Angie, VA (14:19) - How can we know that the Gospel of Mark is true when he didn't walk with Jesus? Ed, NJ (17:06) - How do we know we are "good and faithful servants?" Aracelis, YouTube (20:25) - When is divorce acceptable? Trent, IL (24:18) - Who killed King Saul? Anonymous, caller (27:02) - Will we have computer chips in our hands in the end times? Lola, Facebook (33:34) - Why did God not want to protect his daughters instead of the two visitors that were angels? Carrie, YouTube (35:50) - When the hail was thrown down on God's enemies in Joshua 10, was this angels? Will it be the same in the Tribulation? Diane, email (37:13) - How do Trans people know that they have the wrong body? What does that feel like? Veteran Bob, email (39:32) - Can we communicate with loved ones that are now with the Lord? Shirley, email (40:45) - Can you explain the parable of the treasure in the field? Wade, VT (42:48) - Can you give me the reference from Ezekiel you mentioned earlier in the program? Why does Jack Hibbs have a chiming sound in his program? Jayla, GA (46:12) - What is your definition of grace? Caesar, FL (51:04) - Can you explain Hebrews 6 verses 4 to 6? Ray, FL (55:06) - Does God give us nightmares? Ask Your Questions: Call: 888-712-7434 Email: Answers@bbtlive.org
This week hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot celebrate artists who found a new creative gear decades after they hit the music scene. It's Late-Career Encores, this week on Sound Opinions.Join our Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3sivr9TBecome a member on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3slWZvcSign up for our newsletter: https://bit.ly/3eEvRnGMake a donation via PayPal: https://bit.ly/3dmt9lUSend us a Voice Memo: Desktop: bit.ly/2RyD5Ah Mobile: sayhi.chat/soundops Featured Songs:Johnny Cash, "Hurt," American IV: The Man Comes Around, American, 2002The Beatles, "With A Little Help From My Friends," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Parlophone, 1967Johnny Cash, "Folsom Prison Blues," Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar!, Sun, 1955Johnny Cash, "The Mercy Seat," American III: Solitary Man, American, 2000Misson of Burma, "Academy Fight Song," Single, Ace of Hearts, 1980Misson of Burma, "2Wice," The Obliterati, Matador, 2006Wire, "1 2 X U," Pink Flag, Harvest, 1977Wire, "Joust & Jostle," Wire, Pinkflag, 2015The Staple Singers, "I'll Take You There," Be Altitude: Respect Yourself, Stax, 1972Mavis Staples, "99 and 1/2," We'll Never Turn Back, Anti-, 2007Superchunk, "Driveway To Driveway," Foolish, Merge, 1994Superchunk, "Me & You & Jackie Mittoo," I Hate Music, Merge, 2013Naked Raygun, "I Don't Know," Throb Throb, Homestead, 1985Naked Raygun, "Living in the Good Times," Over the Overlords, Wax Trax!, 2021A Tribe Called Quest, "Can I Kick It?," People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, Jive, 1990A Tribe Called Quest, "We the People....," We Got It from Here...Thank You 4 Your Service, Epic, 2016Bonnie Raitt, "Thank You," Bonnie Raitt, Warner Bros., 1971Bonnie Raitt, "The Road's My Middle Name," Nick of Time, Capitol, 1989Cher, "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves," Chér, Kapp, 1971Cher, "Strong Enough," Believe, WEA and Warner Bros., 1998Redd Kross, "Annie's Gone," Third Eye, Atlantic, 1990Redd Kross, "Candy Coloured Catastophe," Redd Kross, In the Red, 2024Converge, "Concubine," Jane Doe, Equal Vision, 2001Converge, "We Were Never the Same," Love is Not Enough, Epitaph and Deathwish, 2026John Prine, "Angel From Montgomery," John Prine, Atlantic, 1971John Prine, "When I Get to Heaven," The Tree of Forgiveness, Oh Boy, 2018Pulp, "Common People," Different Class, Island, 1995Pulp, "Spike Island," More, Rough Trade, 2025Al Green, "Belle," The Belle Album, Hi, 1977See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Leviticus 16 // Nathan MillerIn this teaching on Leviticus 16, we examine the detailed instructions given to Aaron regarding the Day of Atonement. The sermon explains the gravity of entering behind the veil and the necessity of the sin offering and the burnt offering. A central focus is placed on the two goats: one sacrificed to satisfy justice and the "scapegoat" sent into the wilderness to carry away the guilt of the camp. We discuss how these rituals illustrate his mercy and the lengths he goes to so that his presence can remain among his people. This sermon helps us understand the weight of sin and the beauty of being made clean in his sight.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2542/responses/new26.03.08
Leviticus 16 // Ben BeasleyIn this teaching on Leviticus 16, we examine the detailed instructions given to Aaron regarding the Day of Atonement. The sermon explains the gravity of entering behind the veil and the necessity of the sin offering and the burnt offering. A central focus is placed on the two goats: one sacrificed to satisfy justice and the "scapegoat" sent into the wilderness to carry away the guilt of the camp. We discuss how these rituals illustrate his mercy and the lengths he goes to so that his presence can remain among his people. This sermon helps us understand the weight of sin and the beauty of being made clean in his sight.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2509/responses/new26.03.08
Leviticus 16 // Jacob NannieIn this teaching on Leviticus 16, we examine the detailed instructions given to Aaron regarding the Day of Atonement. The sermon explains the gravity of entering behind the veil and the necessity of the sin offering and the burnt offering. A central focus is placed on the two goats: one sacrificed to satisfy justice and the "scapegoat" sent into the wilderness to carry away the guilt of the camp. We discuss how these rituals illustrate his mercy and the lengths he goes to so that his presence can remain among his people. This sermon helps us understand the weight of sin and the beauty of being made clean in his sight.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2553/responses/new26.03.08
Leviticus 16 // Bill GormanIn this teaching on Leviticus 16, we examine the detailed instructions given to Aaron regarding the Day of Atonement. The sermon explains the gravity of entering behind the veil and the necessity of the sin offering and the burnt offering. A central focus is placed on the two goats: one sacrificed to satisfy justice and the "scapegoat" sent into the wilderness to carry away the guilt of the camp. We discuss how these rituals illustrate his mercy and the lengths he goes to so that his presence can remain among his people. This sermon helps us understand the weight of sin and the beauty of being made clean in his sight.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2546/responses/new26.03.08
Leviticus 16 // Jacob VangenIn this teaching on Leviticus 16, we examine the detailed instructions given to Aaron regarding the Day of Atonement. The sermon explains the gravity of entering behind the veil and the necessity of the sin offering and the burnt offering. A central focus is placed on the two goats: one sacrificed to satisfy justice and the "scapegoat" sent into the wilderness to carry away the guilt of the camp. We discuss how these rituals illustrate his mercy and the lengths he goes to so that his presence can remain among his people. This sermon helps us understand the weight of sin and the beauty of being made clean in his sight.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2574/responses/new26.03.08
Today, Dudley brings us his Monthly Message, “Tower or Temple?” and invites us to wrestle with a question: are we building the Tower of Babel, or are we living as God's true temple? With pastoral clarity, he contrasts humanity's attempt to reach heaven with God's desire to bring heaven to earth—first seen in the Garden of Eden, and fulfilled in Jesus Christ.Pointing to Christ as the promised Messiah and the Lamb of God, Dudley explains how Jesus offered Himself at the true Mercy Seat, ending the old system and forming a new creation community. The church is not a brand, a building, or a path to escape earth—it is a Spirit-filled people who embody God's presence and advance His Kingdom and Justice in the world.Get Dudley's Weekly Word delivered right to your inbox every Friday! Click here to get access ➡️ https://dudleysweeklyword.com/opt-inFor more information and resources, visit https://kerygmaventures.com/podcast/ Follow and subscribe:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/41N9SAP Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3LEIxeo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerygmaventures Watch our "Conversations At The Ranch" series: https://bit.ly/conversations-at-the-ranch Watch our “Dudley's Monthly Message” series: https://bit.ly/dudleys-monthly-message
Today we're discussing Tender Prey by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. This is one of Nick Cave's most legendary albums for the simple fact that it contains "The Mercy Seat," his most famous song (also covered by Johnny Cash). But there's so much more to it. The substance abuse and subsequence chaos behind the scenes, the strange production style, and the eclectic songwriting make this one of Nick Cave's absolute weirdest albums. Intro 00:00 The Making of/Dissecting the Music 3:21 Closing Thoughts/Outro 58:28 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Join the Patreon, it rules: https://www.patreon.com/everyalbumever Mike's music: Pander Monkey on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple, Mike on Instagram @pandermonkey Tom on Instagram @tomosmansounds Tom Osman's stuff: Music on Spotify, Apple, Website Podcast on Spotify, YouTube ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to the movie, The Raiders of the Lost Ark, most people have heard of the Ark of the Covenant, and yet do we understand its central role in Old Testament worship? Today, we'll unpack Exodus 25 teachings on the tabernacle and the ark, the showbread and the lampstand. Join us for this important study on these important topics! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1. Verse 9 contains the first time the term "tabernacle" is used. When not being used of the official tabernacle, how also could this word be used? What did the podcast explain is the idea behind the term "tabernacle"? How is it sometimes used as a verb? 2. What was the specific dimensions of the tabernacle tent? What in our world is about that same size? Is this smaller than you were expecting? 3. In verse 2, what was supposed to prompt the people to donate supplies towards the construction of this tabernacle complex? In regard to their contributions, what had to happen in Exodus 36:5? What does this tell us about the people's heart to be involved with the Lord's work? 4. Of all the items that were built for the tabernacle, why was the ark listed first? What were the dimensions of this ark? Does this size surprise you? How about it's weight, what did it weigh and how was it moved around? How does this help us understand why Uzzah died when he touched the ark in 2nd Samuel 6:6-7? 5. What was special about the lid of the ark? What was to take place there on the Day of Atonement? It's often called "The Mercy Seat" but it can also be called "The Atonement Cover". Which do you prefer and why? 6. Why did the podcast suggest that the golden cherubim (on top of the ark) did not violate the 2nd Commandment to make no graven images? What did the podcast suggest that these golden cherubim teach us? How? 7. The podcast explained that the Hebrew term for "cover" is "Kaphar", which is also the root word for "atonement". Kaphar was used in Genesis 6:14 when the Lord had Noah make his ark out of wood that was covered (kaphar) with tar. What did the High Priest do at the ark once a year on the Day of Atonement? What does this signify? How does this help us understand the covering (or the atonement) that we have in Christ's blood? 8. Verse 23-30 is talking about the showbread. What is it also called in verse 30? How does verse 30 help us understand the showbread was to signify? According to Leviticus 24:5-9, how often was the showbread to be made? Who would eat the old showbread? 9. How does the showbread point us to Jesus, who calls Himself the Bread of Life in John 6:32-35? 10. The golden lampstand is described in verses 31 to 40. Where was this placed and what was it for? According to Exodus 27:20-21, who was to keep this lamp burning? How is Jesus the fulfillment of this lamp in John 8:12? 11. How does the tabernacle teach us that God's presence is not automatic? Why would the Lord want to teach this lesson to the people? What needs to happen to us to have eternal fellowship with Him? 12. How does this whole chapter help us understand the perfect tabernacle and atonement offering of Jesus in Hebrews 9:11-12? Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon just in time for the Genesis relaunch in January! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.
We hope you enjoy today's Scripture reading and devotional aimed at equipping you for moral and spiritual transformation. Today's Bible reading is Exodus 25:10–22. To read along with the podcast, grab a print copy of the devotional at https://www.crossway.org/books/daily-strength-hcj/. Browse other resources from Philip Ryken. Follow us on social media to stay up to date: Instagram Facebook Twitter
Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh North Sermons - Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh North
Introduction: Hebrews 10:24-25 Acts 10:42, 1 Tim 4:1-2 1 Tim 4:13 1 Tim 2:1,8 , Col 4:2 Eph 5:19, Col 3:16 John 4:23-24 All In On Truth (1 Chronicles 13:3-14) Good intentions and enthusiasm != TRUE WORSHIP. It is PERILOUS to worship God CARELESSLY . We worship God WHO IS WITH US. John 14:16–18 1 Cor 3:16 1 Cor 6:19-20 Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Chronicles 13:3-14What was your big take-away from this passage / message?What is at stake in God's command to worship Him in truth? See, for example, another account of careless and irreverent worship in Leviticus 10:1-3.Why are good intentions and enthusiasm insufficient for worshiping God in truth? Are they better, about the same, or worse than dead, emotionless, and unresponsive “worship?”Before this message, what was your understanding of verses describing Christabiding in you? (John 14:16-18, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19-20)How should the fact that Christ abides in us inspire or change the way weworship?BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Good morning, Harvest, and Happy New Year. Open your Bibles, please, to 1 Chronicles,chapter 13. It will be in the Old Testament, 1 Chronicles, chapter 13. If you want, youcan put a little bookmark at chapter 15, because we're going to be looking there briefly aswell. This morning, we're beginning a three-week series on worship. Of course, there are manyways that we worship, prayer, preaching, proclaiming the gospel. I think it's fair to say thatfor everyone who is a believer in Christ, whatever we do is worship. Everything we do shouldbe for the glory of God. There are right ways, and there are wrong ways to worship God. AtHarvest, we follow something known as the regulative principle. That simply means thatif a type of worship is not permitted in Scripture, we don't do it. We don't get to worship Godhowever we want to. We must worship Him in the way that He commands. You may wonder,"Why do we do the things we do here in worship every Sunday? Who makes that up?" Well, it'snot made up. We do what God's word says to. You'll notice that every Sunday, we meettogether. We preach God's word. We read God's word. We pray and we sing. Now, while thoseare ways in which we are commanded to worship, this three-week series is going to focus particularlyon worshiping through music and singing. Our starting point for all three of these messagesis John 4 verses 23 and 24. "But the hour is coming and is now here, when the true worshiperswill worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worshipHim. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Sowe see that from these verses, the right way to worship God is spirit and truth. In twoweeks, Pastor Taylor is going to cover why worshiping in spirit and truth through musicand song is so important. Next week, Pastor Jeff will take us through what it means toworship in spirit. And then this morning's message is about worshiping God in truth.So here's the point of this week's sermon. "The Lord God Almighty delights to be withus, but we must have regard for His holiness and worship Him according to His commands."You see, when we worship God that way, when we worship God in truth, it means the wordswe sing to and about Him are true. By singing true words about God, we're able to rememberlater what is true. And we learn sound doctrine. If you've ever memorized Scripture throughsinging or you've sung the old hymns that are just chock full of biblical truth, youknow what I mean. When we worship God in truth, the truth fills us with awe. We aremoved emotionally. We're moved physically by the truth that we sing. Now at Harvest,we don't use, you know, strobe lights, flashing lights, fog machines, loud music, and othertactics to manipulate you into thinking that you're worshiping just because you're experiencingone sensory overload after another. But if what we sing is true, then truth will fillus and flow out of us. When we worship God in truth, we recognize that singing His praisesis of the utmost importance to Him. He's worthy of our praises. He's worthy of all our songsabout Him. He commands our praises. He expects it. The Book of Psalms is proof of that. Andwe should therefore make every effort to worship Him the right way because that pleases andglorifies Him. Let's pray. Oh, most gracious God, sovereign of the universe, God most high,you are awesome and mighty, and you are worthy of all praise. You are worthy of all of ourattention. You are worthy of every thought. You are worthy of every song we can sing.Because Lord, you are holy and you dwell in the praises of your people. I pray this morningthat we would overflow in worshipful song because we know the truth. We know the tritetruth of who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us and that He is in us. And it'sin His great name. We ask it. Amen.Now this morning's passage recounts when David wanted to bring the Ark of the Covenant,the Ark of God, to Jerusalem to be near him. The passage contrasts the wrong way to worshipGod with the right expression of awe and reverence for God Almighty. Before we dive into thismessage, I need to give you some background. We need to do a brief history lesson. So youprobably all know God chose and called the people of Israel out of Egypt so that he couldbe with them. And the primary way that he demonstrated his presence with the peopleof Israel was through a movable tabernacle. That's simply a large tent and it was surroundedby a big fabric courtyard and poles. But inside the tent there were two separate places. Therewas the holy place and that was furnished with the Ark of Incense and a table in which breadwas placed every week and a lamp, a gold lamp to give light. And then on the eastern sideof this tent was basically a cube-shaped area. It was about 15 by 15 by 15. It was a perfectcube and that was the most holy place, the Holy of Holies. And it contained the Arkof the Covenant. In other places in Scripture it's called the Ark of God or the Ark ofTestimony. Now in Exodus 25 God gave some very specific directions for the Ark's constructionand its significance. It was a wooden box. It was about 45 inches long, 27 inches high,27 inches wide. Not that big. And then the wood was overlaid with gold and then on topwas a solid gold lid. It was all hammered out of one piece of gold and there were twocherubim on the top. So this is just a very simple example of what it might look like.We can't really speak in detail now about what the Ark looked like but we have the descriptionin Scripture. Now this lid with the cherubim was also called the Mercy Seat and it wassignificant for several reasons. One, the Lord was said to be enthroned above the cherubim.And two, the Lord spoke to Moses from between the cherubim. And then a third reason is onthe annual day of atonement the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and he wouldsprinkle blood on the lid to atone for the people's sins. And it's in this way that theLord tabernacled or dwelled between the two cherubim on the lid of the Ark. In this waythe Lord was present with his people and the people knew God was with them because in thedaytime there was a pillar of cloud over the tabernacle and at night it became a pillarof fire and whenever that pillar moved up and forward it was safe for the Levites, thepriests to go in, pack up the Ark, pack up the tabernacle and move it to wherever Godwas leading them. He took them wherever he wanted them to go. Now God also gave veryspecific instructions about how the Ark was to be moved and by whom. Only the Levitesand of the Levites a clan called the Coethites were allowed to carry the holy things includingthe Ark. Now this Ark was meant to be portable. It was carried on poles, passed through goldrings that those rings were attached to the feet of the Ark and in that way the Ark waslifted up over the priests heads when they carried it so all the people could see theArk was with them. Now these poles were never supposed to be removed from the Ark and beforethe Ark was moved it was supposed to be hidden. They put a big goat skin over it and thenthey covered it with a blue cloth and then that's they would pick it up and they wouldmove it. Now let's move ahead in time about 400 years to the end of the period of thejudges in 1 Samuel. At that time there was a man named Eli. He was the high priest andduring this time the Israelites fought a battle against their arch enemies the Philistinesand they were defeated. The Philistines walloped the Israelites and they were like, "Oh whatare we going to do? What are we going to do? Wait no, let's go bring the Ark of the testimonyto us. Let's bring it into the camp with us thinking this will bring us victory." Andthey were instead defeated in a very great slaughter. And Eli's two sons they were killedand the Ark was captured by the Philistines and taken away. When Eli heard his sons weredead and the Ark was captured he fell backwards over on his chair and broke his neck and hedied. This had to be a terribly bleak time for Israel. Their God, their God was captured.They had no priests, they had no prophets and as yet they had no king. Their whole identityas a people has been overthrown in a day. Now the Philistines they took the Ark to thecity of Ashtad and they put it in the temple of their God named Dagon. And the statue ofDagon fell face down in front of the Ark. So they picked him back up and set him upagain. They come in the next day and this time the God Dagon has fallen over again but thistime his head is busted off and his hands are broken off. And something else happens.The Lord begins terrifying the people of Ashtad with plague and tumors and death. So the Philistinesand Ashtad they take the Ark to Gath, another Philistine city. And the people there alsosuffered from plague and tumors and death. So they pick it up and they move it againto the city of Ekron and guess what happens? The people there experience plague, sickness,death. And they go, "Okay, enough of this. Enough of this." They decide to return theArk to Israel after seven months of being afflicted by God. So the Philistines, theysay, "What do we do with this?" They put the Ark on a brand new cart and they hitch it totwo milking cows. And the cows, instead of trying to go back to be with their calves,their babies, they instead they go straight up to a place in Israel called Beth Shemesh.The Israelites at Beth Shemesh, they rejoiced to see the Ark returned. But when some ofthe men of Beth Shemesh apparently looked into the Ark, the Lord struck down 70 of them.So the people of Beth Shemesh asked the people in another town called Keryth Jerem,"Come and get the Ark from us." Which they did. So the men of Keryth Jerem brought the Ark to thehouse of a man named Abinadab. They consecrated his son Eliezer to oversee it. And the Arkremained there, the Bible says, for some 20 years. Now after David becomes king, you know,this is a period of time Saul was king, he is dead, Jonathan is dead, David has become king,he is now established in Jerusalem as his capital. And David's got this idea, he wants to bring theArk of God from Keryth Jerem to Jerusalem. So David gets all the commanders, all the priests,and the Levites together to get their concurrence with his idea. And now we pick up at our accountin Chronicles chapter 13. "Then let us bring again the Ark of our God to us," David says."For we did not seek it in the days of Saul. All the people agreed to do so, for the thing wasright in the eyes of all the people." So David assembled all Israel from the Nile of Egypt toLebohamed to bring the Ark of God from Keryth Jerem. And David and all Israel went up to Bala,that is Keryth Jerem, that belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the Ark of God, which iscalled by the name of the Lord who sits enthroned above the cherubim. And they carried the Ark ofGod on a new cart from the house of Abinadab. And Uzzah and Ohio were driving the cart. And Davidand all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, with song and liars and harpsand tambourines and symbols and trumpets. So this is quite a procession, quite a big celebration.It brings us to our first point. Good intentions and enthusiasm don't equal true worship.There are some huge red flags in this account. As king, actually David's a prince really,because the Lord is still the true king. You know the Bible calls David King David?He's really a prince of the true king. But as King David wants God's presence near him.The Lord has established David and Jerusalem over Israel and to have the Ark of the Covenantnearby would really cement the relationship between God and the house of David.It was a shrewd religious and political move on David's part.But notice in this account David doesn't seek God's counsel about moving the Ark.David knew what he wanted. And he apparently expected God to bless this plan. It's a goodthing, right? Bring the Ark up to Jerusalem. I mean, after all God had blessed David up to this point.So David just gathers counselors around him to agree with him and they go off and they do justwhatever it is they want to do. And you notice the phrase, "The thing was right in the eyes of allthe people." If you're familiar with the book of Judges, you know there's flashing red lights andwarning sirens going off all over the place. The leaders of Israel may have all agreed,but if something is wrong, widespread agreement doesn't make it right.Not one of the priests, Sir Levite, seemed to have suggested consulting the Lordor the Law of Moses before doing this thing. And then to move the Ark, what do they do?They put it on a cart. "Oh, but it was a new cart," you say. "Well, let's should please the Lord,right? Look, Lord, Lord, Lord, look at this fancy set of wheels we got for you. Aren't you impressed?Finest Cedar from Lebanon. The problem is they're copying the Philistinesrather than consulting God or the Law of Moses." So they got the Ark all loaded up.They got a big procession, almost 30,000 people. Can you imagine? 30,000 people. That's 12,000 morepeople than fit in PPG Paints Arena, just for perspective. 30,000 people with David,and they're celebrating with all their might, and they're singing and praising with lots ofinstruments, the liars, the harps, castanets, cymbals, trumpets. They have every intentionof worshiping the Lord, and they're super enthused. And this is just all quite a spectacle. It looksimpressive. It sounds good, but they're more interested in putting it on a show than worshipingGod. It was more about their worship experience. It was more about what David wanted than worshipingthe Lord. It was more about what they perceived God would approve without confirming than it wasabout worshiping God as he commanded. And that's the core problem here. They're not worshiping theLord the way he commanded. They're not worshiping in truth. They don't even seem to have the slightestinterest in truth. Where? Where was the counsel of the high priest in the Levites? Where was prayerin the simple request, Lord, what do you want? Where are the coethites and the poles to carry theark above the heads of the people? Where is the reverence and the awe due to the Lord?Now, you can manufacture enthusiasm while singing. You know, that's why so many churches, they usethe lights and the fog and the beautiful moving images and the sonic walls of ear-popping soundsand drums and squealing singers gesturing wildly. It looks worshipy. It sounds worshipy. It probablyeven feels worshipy. Therefore, I must be worshiping God. Have you ever heard people say, "Oh, worshiptoday was great." I had a great worship experience. Have you ever said that? Who was it that made itthe worship great? The sonic boom or the truth of God? Did you sing songs about yourself or songsthat praise God's character, mercy, grace, and love? Were you pleased with yourself or did youplease your God by worshiping Him in truth? Now, some of you hearing this are probably congratulatingyourself right now. That's right, Sprunk. That's right. I agree with everything you've said.All that exuberance, it's all fake. It's all performance. I just don't see what all the fussis about. Why? That's why when they're singing going on, I just keep my cool. I keep my reserve.Well, good. If you're thinking along those lines, that's good because this next point is just for youbecause just as good intentions and enthusiasm don't equal true worship, it is perilous to worshipGod carelessly. Look at verse 9. "And when they came to the threshing floor of Chaitan, Azza put outhis hand to take hold of the ark for the oxen stumbled, and the anger of the Lord was kindledagainst Azza, and he struck him down because he put his hand to the ark, and he died there before God.And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Azza, and that place is called ParisAzza to this day. And David was afraid of God that day, and he said, 'How can I bring the ark of Godhome to me?' So David did not take the ark home into the city of David, but took it aside to thehouse of Obed Edom the Getite. And the ark of God remained with the household of Obed Edom in hishouse three months, and the Lord blessed the household of Obed Edom and all that he had.And we may be shocked that God struck down Azza for touching the ark.I mean, can you imagine this procession of 30,000 people and boom, Azza's dead?Well, that would take the wind out of the celebration, wouldn't it?Try to think what that might have looked like. Well, if you were in Butler on July 18, 2024,and there was an assassination attempt, you probably know what it felt like.If you saw Charlie Kirk murdered, that's what it was like.But God struck Azza down, and you may think, 'Well, what's the big deal? Why did he do that?They were worshiping.' Well, we've seen there were multiple things wrong with the way Davidand the Israelites treated the ark of God. Number one, they copied the Philistines.They're worshiping like pagans, and pagans don't know the truth. They treated the Holy Lord, GodMost High, the Holy Lord of Israel, shabbily. They treated God like baggage in a wooden cart.They were careless and unconcerned whether their worship obeyed the truth or expressed the truth.And we know Israel had a history of careless, half-hearted worship.We saw that in the Book of Judges, the people after they were settled in the land,they became idolatrous and careless in their worship. They served other gods, and they treated the arkas if it was some sort of good luck charm, a lucky rabbit's foot.They had no qualms about taking the ark from the Holy of Holies and carrying it around whereverthey liked. 'Take it down to the battle,' they said. 'God will fight for us,' they said.'You've got another thing coming,' God said. And everything was lost because of their insolence.The Philistines, they thought they had completely defeated the Israelites.'We've captured Israel's God,' they said.'We'll put him in the temple of our God, Dagon, and he'll worship our God,' they said.'You've got another thing coming,' God said. For their insolence, God busted up Dagon andafflicted the Philistines with sickness and death until they sent the ark back to Israelite territory.And after the ark returned to Israel's territory, the people of Beth Shemeshwanted to get a look at the most holy thing in the nation.They treated the ark like a curiosity, as something that they were consecrated and qualifiedto look at. 'Oh, God has returned to us,' they said. 'Let's sacrifice the cows and worship,' they said.'Let's look inside,' they said. 'You've got another thing coming,' God said.And seventy men of Beth Shemesh were struck down for their insolence.And then twenty years after the ark was moved to Curious Gerum, David proposes to bring the arkto Jerusalem. 'God's established me as king over Israel,' he said. 'It's right in our own eyes tobring the ark to Jerusalem,' they said. 'Let's put it on a new cart,' like the Philistines did,they said. 'Let's worship and celebrate with all our might and loud instruments,' they said.'You've got another thing coming,' God said. And as it was struck down for the people's insolence,you see, David and the priests and the Israelites treated God with contempt, and God said, 'Enough.'And David was rightly afraid of God, but no, he was also angry. But it was a self-pityinganger. David was angry because he didn't get his way. He was angry like Cain when God rejectedCain's act of self-centered worship. Angry like someone who knows he hasn't done his best,he hasn't done something right, but he wants approval anyway. But God is not mocked. God wasnot going to allow David and the priests to disobey his commands and still claim that they wereworshiping him properly. We should see that it is perilous to worship God carelessly.David had to learn, and although the text doesn't say, perhaps he repented of his irreverent worship.He was, after all, a man after God's own heart. And when he heard that Obed Edom was blessedby God, he realized it was possible to bring the ark to Jerusalem. But he had to do it the right way.So turn your head to 1 Chronicles 15. We're going to look at verses 11 through 15.Then David summoned the priests Zadok and Abayathar and the Levites, Uriel, Asiah, Joel,Shamiah, Eliel and Abinadab, and said to them, "You are the heads of the Father's houses of the Levites.Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord,the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. Because you did not carry it the first timethe Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule."So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord,the God of Israel. And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles,as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.This time David does it the right way. The priests consecrate themselves. They preparethrough sacrifice and washing and abstaining from anything that would make them ritually unclean.Each one got himself ready for worship. They follow the Lord's command when they carry the ark.They lift up the ark and they revere the Lord as holy in the sight of all the people.In short, they now worship according to the word of the Lord. And the Lord showed he was pleasedwith their reverence by allowing David to finally bring the ark to Jerusalem.Likewise, when we worship the Lord in truth and according to his command, he is pleased.All right, so you've been listening intently to all of this. You've been maybe taking some notesand you understand good intentions and enthusiasm don't necessarily equal true worship.You recognize it's perilous to worship God carelessly. You may even be persuaded that you needto worship the Lord in truth. But how? How do we do this? And what does that even look like?Well, we worship in truth when we worship God who is with us.When I was preparing this sermon, I recall seeing a series of memes a few years ago thatcontrasted an event or thing that was brutal with another thing or event that was epic.So I asked some folks familiar with cutting edge technology, cutting edge social media,you know, like MySpace and Vine and Friendster. Did you guys remember those memes?And they're like, no, we I don't remember that at all. And I'm like, well, aren't you people onparlor? Well, anyway, anyway, I know, I know I did not imagine those memes that juxtapose brutaland epic themes. Now, have you have you ever encountered a brutal or brute factthat has set or altered your plans, perhaps altered the trajectory of your life?You know, brute facts are hard, unalterable truths and incurable illness being laid offand debilitating injury. Now, not all brute facts are so dramatic, but we have to reckonwith them. We must adapt and come to terms with them.When I was in 10th grade, I had the ambition to row in college. And one day, the University ofWashington's head coach visited our school. The University of Washington has one of the premierrowing programs, collegiate programs in the country. And their head coach came to our school afterour men's heavyweight four won the American Schoolboy Championship. Now, I wasn't in that boat,but I was pretty excited about this coach's visit. And I was standing in the hallway and he shook myhand and they nice to meet you. And the brute fact was brought home to me that his interest was inOrsman, who were five foot 10 and taller. I had to face the brute fact that I was too short to rowfor any college program. I still am. Now, now that might seem like a silly example, but our livesare filled with inalterable facts. They are the truths we must face. Our intellectual and physicalcharacteristics can only be changed so much. Some of our earlier poor choices in life may have hadconsequences for the rest of our life. Choices or decisions made by others may affect our careers,our health, our relationships. All of us must face a variety of inconsequential to life alteringbrutal facts. But there is one glorious fact so enormous in its scope, so epic in its immeasurableproportions that all the brute facts of our lives pale in comparison. There is an epic truth thatought to completely transform how we think, how we live, and yes, how we worship. It is quite simplythis. If you have trusted Jesus Christ for salvation, he abides in you. Christ in you is your hope ofglory. It is very simple. I repent, I believe in Jesus, and now I possess Jesus. Now, recall fromthe introduction of this message that when God wanted to dwell with his chosen people, he did sothrough the Ark of the Covenant. That simple box containing two tablets of the law and placed inthe most holy place was how God chose to tabernacle with and dwell with and be with his people.John chapter one verse 14 tells us the word became flesh and dwelt among us.The word translated dwelt there is literally tabernacle. Jesus tabernacled among us. Jesuswas the most holy place, the holy of holies in the flesh walking among his people.The world's religious systems have nothing like this. We understand God is absolute power,but yet he's personal. Islam has an absolute God in Allah, but he is in no way personal to his people.Zeus and the variety of Greek and Roman gods, they were personal. They looked very human,but not a single one of them had absolute power.Christianity is unique in the fact that the absolute sovereign of the universehumbly dwells with us in a personal way. There is no other religion, no other systemthat compares with, comes close to the way of Christ.Now you might say, well, he's not tabernacling or dwelling with us now, is he?I mean, even the most ardent followers of Christ can get a bit muddled in their thinking aboutJesus' present location. I mean, I thought he ascended to heaven. He's at the right hand ofGod the Father. Well, he did. He is there. But if you stop there, you may tend to think that Jesusis far away from us. You might think he's like a regional supervisor in a big corporation.He's given us a list of commands to follow. We got to check off our list to make sure we're good.And, you know, he checks in occasionally to see how we're doing. And, you know, he approves orcritiques our performance. We have weekly meetings, right? Every Sunday we have weekly meetings.We get a message from headquarters. We have a musical pep rally. And then we get on with our week.Well, if you think in any way like that about Jesus, you are mistaken. Jesus is not limitedby time or space or location. When you think that way about worshiping Jesus, you neglect this greattruth from John chapter 14 verses 16 through 18. Jesus told his disciples, "I will ask the Father,and he will give you another helper to be with you forever, even the spirit of truth whom the worldcannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with youand will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you."So, where is Jesus? Yes, at the right hand of the Father and present in everyone who believes inhim through the Holy Spirit. First Corinthians reinforces this truth. Look at verse 16 inchapter 3. "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells in you?"And then chapter 6 verses 19 and 20. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spiritwithin you whom you have from God? You are not your own. You were bought with a price,so glorify God in your body." The Greek word translated as temple in these verses is naos,and AOS, naos. And it refers to the most holy place, the holy of holies, where the ark was kept.You see, beloved, we are living, breathing portable tabernacles, holy places in whom Christabides. And the law is now written on our hearts instead of stone tablets. We must embrace thistruth and worship in it and out of it and through it. The Spirit of Christ in youought to be calling out to the Father and worshiping him in truth. This awesome, glorious,almighty, inipotent Creator and Master of the heavens and earth humbly dwells with youand makes you his friend. Jesus promises to abide in us and he calls us to come and abide in him.What is your response? Maybe you're hearing this truth for the first time and you're overjoyedby this jaw-dropping reality and you're ready to praise him in song right now.Or maybe you've just considered this in passing, but you think that holy spirit stuff,isn't that for the charismatic? And I don't feel, I don't feel the Spirit of God dwelling in me.It's not about feeling. The Spirit of God in dwelling all believers is presented as a statementof fact. It is true of all believers. Look again at 1 Corinthians chapter 6, 19 and 20.Do you not know your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, not outside of you?We don't have to ask him to come and visit us in this place. We don't have to ask him to fall onus or anything like that. He is always with us in us. You're not your own. You were bought with a price.So glorify God in your body. This is not some charismatic mumbo jumbo. You don't need a secondbaptism. You don't need an infilling of the Holy Spirit because when you heard the word of truth,the gospel of your salvation and you believed in Jesus, you were sealed with the promised HolySpirit. You have all the fullness of Christ in you right now. You have all of him that you couldever need. All of us together being built up into a holy temple have all the fullness of Christ in us.Everything that is his, his ours already, you don't need more of him. He simply wants more of you.Every day he calls you to abide more deeply in him. Here's the problem.Some, maybe many of you don't live in this truth and you don't worship out of it.Maybe it's because you're just learning about it. Maybe it's because you don't understand the scopeof this epic truth yet. But it would be really, really bad if you understood this truth.And up to this point in time, you've been careless about it.You know, it's okay if I'm habitually late to worship. I don't feel like singing anyway, you say.You hang out in the kitchen area and you chit chat with friends because fellowship is more importantthan singing, you say. When you are present, your hands are in your pockets, your arms are crossed,you won't open your mouth to sing. God knows I can't sing. He doesn't expect it, you say.It's my choice whether I sing, even if the Lord commands it, you say.You, you may have another thing coming. You treat God shabbily and carelessly. You don'tvalue or appreciate the truth that he dwells in you. Instead, you act like he's remote anddisinterested. Instead of deep calling out to deep, you quench the spirit and you instantlybehave in a way that's right in your own eyes with such worship. God is not pleased and you aretesting his patience. Repent, repent right now and every day this week for treating the Lord JesusChrist with contempt, repent and earnestly seek his face. Here is your assignment this week. Readand reread John 14 verses 15 through 23 and then get flat on your face and ask him to reveal bothin your heart and your mind the truth that he dwells with you. Ask him to help you to liveand praise out of the truth that you are his tabernacle. He delights to dwell with youand he delights to hear you sing his praises. Now the worship team is going to come back upand help us to worship the Lord in truth. Singing his praise is of the utmost importance to him.Right now, you have the opportunity to praise the Lord in truth. Right now, make every effort toget yourself to the throne of grace with your brothers and sisters and glorify your father andyour savior in truth. Because if you didn't know it before today, you do now. You were redeemedto worship and glorify him. It is your purpose and privilege to worship God who is with us.Our closing prayer this morning is from Psalm 98. Oh, sing to the Lord a new song for he has donemarvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has madeknown his salvation. He has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has rememberedhis steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seenthe salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth. Break forth into joya song and sing praises. Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody,with trumpets and the sound of the horn. Make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. Amen.
The Greatest Story Of All Time is our Christmas 2025 series at Fusion Christian Church. In this series we look at some of the ways God foreshadowed the Christmas story throughout the bible. In part 4, we conclude our series with a teaching on how Jesus Christ is our great High Priest.Jesus offered the perfect sacrifice.The priests in the Old Testament had to offer sacrifices constantly in order to atone for the sins of Israel. This is because the animal sacrifices could never truly take away the sins of the people. What the sacrifices did was point forward to the future sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Jesus, by offering his own body up on the cross, did what all the priests who came before could never do. He made a once for all, perfect sacrifice that could finally make people clean. Jesus entered the perfect place.Under the Old Testament system, the High Priest entered the "Most Holy Place" once a year on the Day of Atonement. The Most Holy Place was the room in the Tabernacle (or later the temple) that housed the Ark of the Covenant. Here the High Priest would act as a mediator between God and his people, making peace between them. The Most Holy Place, however, was only a shadow of the true Most Holy Place in heaven. Jesus, as the perfect High Priest, passed through the heavens himself, and therefore entered the "perfect place." By doing so, Jesus was able to reconcile God's people to him in a way no other high priest could.Jesus sat down on the perfect seat.On the Ark of the Covenant, which sat in the Most Holy Place, there was a space between two angels called the "Mercy Seat." This is the place where God's presence rested and where he would meet with the High Priest. Like with the Most Holy Place, this Mercy Seat was a shadow representing God's throne in heaven. According to the bible, after Jesus had offered his perfect sacrifice (himself) he sat down at the right hand of God in heaven. What this means is that Jesus can sit in the seat reserved only for God (because he is God). Jesus sits in heaven's Mercy Seat because he is the one who gives mercy to his people.You are now part of the priesthood.If you have been saved by Jesus, then his blood has washed you clean and set you apart for his service. God has a job for all of us to do, and that is to serve him and his gospel. All Christians are part of a priesthood where we live in service to our Prophet, Priest, and King Jesus Christ. How will you serve him?
2025 Advent Devotionals: “Longing for the Presence of God”Copyright © 2025 Steve Hoogerhyde. All rights reserved.All Bible references are taken from the New International Version (2011) unless otherwise noted.
Finding Jesus in the Mercy Seat, the Tabernacle of David and in the covenant between David and Jonathan. For an outline of this lesson, click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yVIkjJqHm8Wci0YekR1LhdpUzsPhurPW/view?usp=sharing
Join Apostle Jim Raley in this compelling sermon titled 'Miracle Mercy,' where he explores the concept of divine mercy and its profound impact on our lives. Through biblical teachings and personal insights, Apostle Raley takes listeners on a spiritual journey to the 'mercy seat,' a place where faith meets divine grace. Experience a transformative message that emphasizes the power of worship, the role of mercy in overcoming life's challenges, and the enduring hope found in God's presence.
Did you know that Jesus is our Mercy Seat? The FBI is investigating ArmedQueers in Utah for possible connection to Charlie Kirk's assassination; CBDC, digital IDs, and blockchain are getting ready to be rolled out starting in Europe; Operation Arctic Frost is exposed!New episodes are released every Monday. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and leave us a rating on your podcast platform of choice. For more info or to support Burning Bush Ministries, visit our website at burningbushministries.tv.Follow us on social media:x.com/edifypodcastFacebook.com/edifypodcast Product Spotlight:Nashville Gold And Coin:https://nashvillegoldandcoin.com/Dr. Rhonda's Ultimate Daily Detoxifier:https://doctorrhonda.myshopify.com/discount/BURNINGBUSH?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fultimate-daily-detoxifierUse promo code Edify!Dr. Rhonda's Ultimate Immune Booster:https://doctorrhonda.myshopify.com/products/bpuibooster?_pos=2&_psq=ultim&_ss=e&_v=1.0Use promo code Edify!My Pillow:https://www.mypillow.com/?cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=6481386640&cq_term=my%20pillow&cq_med=&cq_plac=&cq_net=g&cq_plt=gp&gclid=CjwKCAjwue6hBhBVEiwA9YTx8D1g59gXEUjFegHoWVjHHx6V_dwQUAQpc2fT4fQqsK93A1s2W-XT-RoCeLsQAvD_BwEUse promo code B66
Mike Gendron is founder and director of Proclaiming the Gospel Ministry. Mike was a devout Roman Catholic for over 3 decades and was taught to rely upon the authority of the church above all else. Mike searched the Scriptures and was amazed to find that what he read in Scripture contradicted the teaching and tradition of the church he had been a part of for so long. He trusted Jesus as his Savior and now the Bible has become his sole authority in all matters of faith. Mike is the author of the books, Preparing for Eternity and Contending for the Gospel and has produced numerous videos with warnings concerning false teachings vs. the truth of the Scriptures. Recently, Pope Leo XIV presided over his first saint-making ceremony at St. Peter's Square. At this ceremony he declared a British born, Italian teenager, Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006, to be the first millennial saint. As this broadcast explains, in order to become a saint according to Catholic teaching, a person has to have lived an exemplary life, die, then have 2 miracles attributed to them. After the first miracle the individual is beautified, with the second miracle qualifying the individual to be canonized. On the other hand, how does a person become a saint according to the Bible? Is the Catholic Church truly honoring God in this regard? Is it possible that this is just a marketing ploy to make the Catholic Church more relevant to youth? Also, new images are coming out of Mary over the Mercy Seat between the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant. What's the background on this and is this just another example of the worship of Mary replacing the worship of Jesus?
It's time we become more aware of the priesthood that God set up - not man- which is maintained and operated by Jesus, our Great High Priest, who is in intercession for us but is also seated, meaning He has completed and accomplished everything it takes to purify our conscience and bring us back to our Father. He is in full time ministry, applying His own blood to the Mercy Seat in Heaven and also to your heart. This changes how we interact with God: Instead of cowering in fear of punishment or working hard to maintain our own righteousness, we approach the Living God with the confidence that Jesus has truly saved us to the uttermost because He constantly lives to make intercession for us. THE BRAVEHEART SUMMIT REGISTRATION IS LIVE! SECURE YOUR SPOT TODAY! The Summit is a rallying point for Bravehearts. If you're hungry for God, eager for true connection with others, and ready to grow deep in the faith of the gospel, this Summit is for you. The Summit is not an end point, it's a launching point. We purpose to gather, to magnify Jesus, to uplift the body of Christ and to return home on mission refreshed, radiant and ready to run.Details - November 6th-8th in San Antonio, Texas Click here to register Click here to pay it forward Send us a textSupport the show
We are looking at some pictures of our atonement in our annual series which intentionally coincides with our study of Romans. In our last lesson we noticed the beauty of Jesus as our redemption. We looked at this in Romans 3:24. Even though all of us have sinned and all of us have fallen short […] The post Jesus Is Our Mercy Seat (Romans 3:25-26) appeared first on Biblical Truths from West Palm Beach church of Christ.
Why does the Bible talk so much about blood? In this powerful episode of Behind the Mike Podcast, Mike Stone walks through Leviticus 4 and answers the question so many of us ask: Why all the animal sacrifices and blood in the Old Testament?