Posted: 02/23/2014 at 8:00am | IP Logged

A recognized Institution: An upward call to the Holy of Holies: Part 1

One of the most difficult things for many in the church is to recognize the difference of what is “church system life” of the 2nd day, and the “kingdom of God life” of the 3rd day, Kingdom of God age that is now upon us.

To help understand the change God is trying to make in his “church” is to bring us from the “outer courts” where sin is dealt with, to the “holy place’ where we do work for God and tend the things of God, to the life of the Holy of Holies, which is the kingdom of God on Earth as it is heaven.”

Over the last 2000 years, the Lord has been slowly restoring us back to the place he intended for us before the fall of Adam. Each generation, each century, God unfolds to those who have eyes to see, and ears to hear a little bit more of his “restoration” process of His desire for us to dwell in him and with him forever and ever.

He uses many pictures in the Bible to portray this restoration to us by showing us the truth of the Bride of Christ, Full Grown Sons, A Heavenly City, Over-comers.  All of these speak of what true Kingdom life is. The “church” not the “church system” was birthed with the very wind and power of the Holy Spirit filling and absorbing the young believers to live a life totally led by the Spirit of God. They did not dare to move or breath without the direct participation of the Holy Spirit.

Slowly through the generations the enemy came in to deceive God’s people by slowly and methodically replace life in the “Holy Spirit” or “Kingdom life” with a “man made replica” called Religion or a "church system life.”

Paul writes to the church in Galatia, “who has bewitched you or cast a spell over you, you started this new life in the Holy Spirit, why are you now trying to reach perfection in the flesh?

Through the centuries, “spirit filled life” got replaced with “religious filled life.” The law that was supposed to be written in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,and the love that was supposed to be shed abroad in our hearts, got replaced by man made ideas and human love trying to do the work of God or to change ourselves.

Thankfully, God always had a remnant of people that stayed true to the “spirit filled life.” Women like Madam Guyonne, Brother Lawrence, Martin Luther, William Tynsdale, Charles Finny, Jonathan Edwards, Andrew Murray, A. W. Tozer, Oswald Chambers and so many more that have kept the fire and torch alive to point the way into true Kingdom of God life.

I could mention people like Wade Taylor, Ron McGatlin and many others that I personally have met who all have the heart of the kingdom of God in them and desire to see that kingdom manifest on Earth as it is in Heaven under the true Lordship of King Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Each step God has done in restoring and redeeming His people has taken us from being outside and lost where we found him in the Outer courts of “salvation. Thank God for the Blood of the Lamb that has set us free through repentance and turning to Jesus as our Savior.

Then the journey of spiritual growth continued until we go through the outer courts to the Holy Place where the table of shew bread is, the lamp stands, and alter of incense. This represents the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and gifts of the Spirit enabling us to do what God wants us to do, but more draw even closer to His presence. Here we learn deeper worship, the gifts of the spirit, church life and the need to fellowship with other believers and much more. These all have value in them and we are not disregarding them in any way.

The present Charismatic/Pentecostal church life since 1900 Holy Spirit outpouring came has remained in this Holy Place ideas of service to God and men and with the offerings we bring to God in this place.

It is here, the enemy came to bring in mixture as men tried to minister to God, but also minister to people. In the Holy Place human efforts came forth, human ideas from the carnal mind came and brought mixture to the true work of God in the Holy Place.

Instead of receiving the life from the presence of God that should have lifted us higher to go deeper in God it taught us to "work for God was better than being with God. A new mantra came forth that said, "win the lost at all cost." The focus turned from the needs of God first to putting the needs of men first.

This Holy Place mixture is what kept "the church" "the people of God" from truly living a Holy Kingdom life because in the "church system life" or the mixed, Holy place life" we can do works, we can bring offerings, we can bring what we think God wants and never meet His true needs. In it we have substituted the Abel's offering of a entire "life being poured out for God" to a Cain offering, "I will give the best of what I think my life poured out to God should be."

In that heart, so many things have been built, so many books written, so many teachings brought forth filled with the wisdom of men, void of the power of God. Bible Schools, ministries that have looked grand to men and done many things that look spiritual only to be seen as a Tower of Babel in God's sight. Even if we didn't allow the enemy to bring in the mixture from the world, and just did the work perfectly in the Holy Place, God could never finish us. Hebrews 9 tells us that?

This Holy Place is a “type and sign or omen of this present age” the Book of Hebrews chapter 9 tells us. Let’s read the word of God about this.

Hebrews 9:1- 10 Now even a first covenant had ordinances of divine service, and its sanctuary, a sanctuary of this world. For there was a tabernacle prepared, the first, wherein were the candlestick, and the table, and the shew bread; which is called the Holy place. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holy of holies; having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was a golden pot holding the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; and above it cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy- seat; of which things we cannot now speak severally.

Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the services (their ritual acts of worship AMP); but into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offers for himself, and for the errors of the people: the Holy Spirit this signifying, that the way into the holy place hath not yet been made manifest, while the first tabernacle is yet standing; which is a figure for the time present; according to which are offered both gifts and sacrifices that cannot, as touching the conscience, make the worshipper perfect, being only (with meats and drinks and divers washings) carnal ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation.

The 9th chapter of Hebrews, actually chapters 6-11 is is such a powerful witness to the change God must bring in His body to move us out of the Holy Place "church system" "2nd day" into the 3rd day and Kingdom age, Holy of Holies, Kingdom life that is available to all of us.  

It is powerful witness and clarion call to the change that is needed to bring us from the Levitical Priesthood 2nd day ministry to becoming a royal priesthood and holy nation under the Melchizedek High Priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the third day.

If we want to see the kingdom of God to be seen in us, through us and to this world as a witness. If we want to see the kingdoms of this Earth become the Kingdoms of our God. If we want to see King Jesus ruling and reigning over the nations and having the place He has prepared for us to rule and reign with Him, we must come up higher. We must be ready to dismantle the Holy Place as a recognized institution in our hearts that satisfies our heart by working for Him, instead of dwelling in Him as our vital need.

Holy Spirit, please open these scripture up to us today. Please reveal the change you desire to make in your "church." We are not asking you to fix the "church system" that can never be fixed because of the compromise Lord, but change us Lord. Open our eyes Lord to see your kingdom.

Open our ears Lord to hear the "word of the kingdom." Help us to lay down our own understandings to gain yours. Lord we are thankful for all the work you have done throughout the ages, including the church age. Lord, thank you for all you taught us in the midst of it, but thank you there is more.

Thank you we can go past the Holy Place and go behind the veil into the life of your Holy of Holies. Thank you your true kingdom life can be found in us, changing us, making us to be a Holy City." May our destination now be not the kingdom of the church, but our advance toward the New Jerusalem and it's life to be ours for your glory alone, in Jesus name. Amen

Link to Part 2