REV. LYNN’S BLOG

Archive for the ‘Christian Life’ Category

Before I begin this post I need to make something absolutely clear. When I speak about God as Daddy, this is only one aspect of His personality. Sadly, it seems that many Christians today fall into either of two extreme categories. Some see God only as a benign father (or grandfather); a being who always smiles at His children, turns a blind eye to their misbehaviour, and indulges them at all times with everything they want or ask for. Such a picture is a caricature, and not at all representative of the mighty God who sits enthroned upon the heavens and rules in righteousness and justice.

At the same time, other Christians see God only in terms of His righteousness and holiness – a harsh ruler who demands grovelling subservience, and is just waiting with His lump of four-by-two to crack us over the head should we dare to set one hairy toe over the line that He has drawn. This picture is equally a caricature, and not at all representative of the great God of compassion, mercy and love.

In truth, God is righteous and holy, and He demands that we should also be so. He is the King of the universe, but He is also our Abba, Daddy, and delights to bring us into a tender and intimate relationship with Himself.

I have experienced the fear of God – and no, I don’t mean “reverential awe”, which is something else entirely. Perhaps I will write about it in my next post, just to balance this one. And yes, at times I have been “smacked” by God (and deserved it.) But I have also had “kisses from Daddy” – those precious little things that God does for us that go way beyond meeting a need or answering a prayer, and are simply an expression of His love to us. Those are what I want to talk about today.

Even though I have had some wonderful experiences with the Lord, I had never really thought in terms of “kisses from Daddy” till the last few weeks. I have just come back from a holiday with my family in Queensland. The first two days there I attended a Bill Johnson conference in Brisbane (I love Bill’s ministry, and was delighted to be able to experience it in person, rather than just by recording.) Because of the distance and time factor in getting through to Brisbane’s northern suburbs from my son’s home on the northern Gold Coast, I arranged to stay for the two nights of the conference with a friend just outside of Redcliffe.

Getting to the conference on the first day was quite a hike – very early train from the Gold Coast, then a bus to Everton Park, then almost a kilometre walk to the church. By the time I arrived I was very much hoping that someone would be able to give me a lift to either the station or a bus stop in the afternoon.

Seats had been reserved for the pastors, but after I had been directed to mine another couple came along who should have had reserved seats, but for some reason had not been put on the list. There were a couple of spare seats near me, so the organiser put them there. As we started talking, it turned out that they were from Redcliffe … so I ended up with a lift not just to the bus stop or train station, but right to my friend’s door! That night I found myself thinking, “That was a kiss from Daddy!” Special, unnecessary, extravagant – it was a delightful expression of Abba’s love to me.

Next morning I realised that I had miscalculated when I drew spending money out of the bank. My pay would be in the account that morning, but there was no opportunity to draw any out before the day’s sessions began, which meant that I did not have enough cash to both buy lunch and pay my fare back to Sandgate station, where my friend had arranged to meet me. Oh well, I thought, it really wouldn’t hurt me to miss lunch for one day.

During the morning break I was talking to one of the ladies. After asking where I was from, she went on to ask how I had got to the venue. I explained that my friend had driven me there in the morning, but I was going to have to find my way back to Sandgate station for her to pick me up in the afternoon. No problem, said my new acquaintance, she could take me to Sandgate – in fact, she could take me even closer than that, if my friend could just meet us on the Brisbane side of the Redcliffe bridge. Another kiss from Daddy – and one that meant I would be able to buy lunch.

Daddy, however, had yet another kiss for me that day – at lunchtime the same lady came up, grabbed my hand and said, “Come on! I want to buy you lunch!” I was overwhelmed at God’s goodness to me.

About that time I started thinking that I really should begin to consciously look for Daddy kisses. I’m sure we all receive many of them, but often miss the fullness of the blessing because we don’t recognise them for what they are. Instead we put them down to just people’s kindness, or sometimes just to luck (the former is certainly part of the equation; the latter has absolutely nothing to do with it.) If we can see God’s hand behind the kind deed, the gentle word or the friendly smile – and behind the glorious sunset, the sweet birdsong or the magnificent rainbow – then I’m sure it will draw us even closer into that wonderful, intimate relationship with Him. Also, as we respond in thankfulness for Daddy’s kisses, our faith increases. Surely, if He does these small, unexpected, unimportant things for us, then He is also both willing and able to meet our big needs when they arise.

Last Friday I had another Daddy Kiss delivered through a person. I was doing a fundraising appeal day in one of our nearby small shopping plazas. It was a bitterly cold day (Victoria is still in winter) and my spot was right next to the front door, where icy breezes entered with every person who came into the centre. When I do appeal days like this, I deliberately don’t take much of my own money, and what I had with me didn’t add up to enough for a cup of coffee (I had taken a cut lunch.) Half way through the morning, one of the girls from the cake shop opposite where I was sitting came over and asked, “Would you like a cup of coffee?” Would I ever! She delivered a steaming brew – and a donut! – and late in the afternoon brought me another cup of coffee.

Some people picture God as tight fisted – willing to meet our needs (barely), but not willing to give us our “wants”, and definitely not to go anywhere beyond that. I want to challenge you to become deliberately aware of the extravagant kisses He showers upon you all the time – things He does not because you need them, or even want them, but simply as an expression of His love for you and His desire to draw you into intimacy with Him.

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
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9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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Just because a statement comes with the words “Thus saith the Lord” attached, or because it is couched in King James English, does not mean that it is truly a word from the Lord. Sadly, some people try to use prophecy to further their own agendas. Others are sincere, but have not developed the spiritual skills to sort out what God is saying from what arises from their own subconscious mind.

Maybe you have received a word from someone, and are not sure whether to accept it. Or maybe you think you have heard from God about something, but want to be sure that it really is God.

These guidelines will help you to check out prophetic words, words of knowledge or words of wisdom that you believe you have received personally from God, that have been given to you as a personal word by somebody else, or that are spoken out in the congregation.

1. Does it line up with Scripture?

God is the author of both Scripture and a true prophetic word. (2 Tim 3:16., 22 Tim 3:16., 2
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16 Every writing inspired by God literally, God-breathed is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction which is in righteousness, Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se za?ne z ¹! Vrstica ⁰ ne obstaja!

WP-Bible plugin Pet 1:20) He does not change, and will not say something different in prophecy to what He has already said in His word. If someone gives you a “prophecy” which tells you to do something that God forbids in His Word, you can be sure it is not God.

2. Does it line up with the character of God?

Sometimes something can line up with the letter of the Word, but is contrary to the character of God – e.g. it is harsh, unloving or unjust. The letter kills, but the Spirit (who embodies God’s character) gives life (2 Cor 3:62 Cor 3:6
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6 who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

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3. Does it line up with my own spirit?

As New Covenant believers we have the Spirit of God living within us. It is His job to communicate the things of God to us. (Jn 14:26Jn 14:26
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26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.

WP-Bible plugin). Prophecy simply confirms, or occasionally prepares us for, God’s word to our own spirit. If it does not strike a chord with our spirit, we should throw it out.

Even if it is a word of rebuke which we chose not to accept because we don’t want to know about it, if it is of God we will know in our spirit that it is true.

4. Is it true?

God is a God of truth. He does not lie, exaggerate, or fiddle with truth. If it is not true, it is not God. Likewise, if a “prophecy” appears to assume something about us that we know in our hearts is not true, although others looking at us from the outside might think it is true, then that word is not from God. He knows our hearts, and judges us according to what is within us, not according to external appearances. (1 Samuel 16:71 Samuel 16:7
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7 But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Don’t look on his face, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for Yahweh sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.”

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5. Is it profitable?

Unlike the devil, God is not interested in tickling our curiousity. Nor is He interested in showing off His knowledge or anything else. He does not need to prove a thing to anyone. If a word is true but irrelevant, chances are it came from a psychic source not God.

6. If a time frame is given, does it come to pass in the time frame?

Deut 18:22Deut 18:22
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22 when a prophet speaks in the name of Yahweh, if the thing doesn’t follow, nor happen, that is the thing which Yahweh has not spoken: the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you shall not be afraid of him.

WP-Bible plugin. God knows when He plans to do things. If a prophetic word says, “Today I will do such-and-such,” and by 1 minute past midnight tomorrow morning such-and-such has not happened, it was not God. If a time frame is implied (eg personal prophecies imply that what is spoken will happen in the person’s lifetime) it must happen within that implied time frame.

However, if no specific time frame (particularly in relation to what God is going to do in and through your life) don’t think it’s going to happen tomorrow. Put it on the back burner and let God cook it properly!

7. Where is it leading me/us?

Deut 13:1-5Deut 13:1-5
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13 ¹ If there arise in the midst of you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give you a sign or a wonder, ² and the sign or the wonder come to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them; ³ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams: for Yahweh your God proves you, to know whether you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁴ You shall walk after Yahweh your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and you shall serve him, and cleave to him. ⁵ That prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to draw you aside out of the way which Yahweh your God commanded you to walk in. So shall you put away the evil from the midst of you.

WP-Bible plugin. A word might meet all the above criteria, yet still be from the pit of hell to lead us away from God. Acts 16:16-18Acts 16:16-18
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16 It happened, as we were going to prayer, that a certain girl having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. ¹⁷ Following Paul and us, she cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation!” ¹⁸ She was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” It came out that very hour.

WP-Bible plugin. We need to ask, “If I take this into my spirit, will it bring me closer to God or take me away from Him?”

8. What is the spirit behind it?

Let’s look more closely at the Scripture in Acts 16:16-18Acts 16:16-18
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16 It happened, as we were going to prayer, that a certain girl having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune telling. ¹⁷ Following Paul and us, she cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation!” ¹⁸ She was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” It came out that very hour.

WP-Bible plugin. It would seem to pass the first 5 tests above. Did it line up with Scripture? Yes, the Apostles were proclaiming the Christ whose coming fills the pages of the Old Testament. Did it line up with the character of God? Yes, it was certainly according to God’s character that those listening should hear the way of salvation. Did it line up with the Apostles’ own spirits? It surely must have, for they knew who they were and to what they were called. Was it true? Yes! Was it profitable? Yes!

Many Christians today would be delighted to receive such a word, and would readily accept it as from the Lord. Yet for all that, Paul knew that this was not a prophecy from God. How? He had the spiritual discernment to recognize the spirit behind it. If it had been allowed to go unchallenged, the focus would have been taken off the message that Paul and his companions were bringing, and placed instead upon this woman as a “wonderful prophet.” Worse, it would soften up the hearers to receive other words from her – words which would have undoubtedly been just the opposite of the Gospel.

When God is active, the devil is also active in imitation and deception. Like Paul in this Scripture, we need the gift of discerning of spirits to recognize what spirit is active behind any spiritual activity.

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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It’s a new year. Of course, that’s only true in the western world that counts January 1st as the beginning of the year – other cultures observe different New Year’s Days. Technically, to observe a true new year, we would need to know the date on which God first spoke the words “Let there be …” and with them flung the universe into existence – and that’s a detail that none of us is likely to discover this side of heaven (and when we get there, we probably won’t care.)

Yet even knowing that the date on which we observe the beginning of a new year is totally arbitrary, I find it impossible to miss the freshness that the new year brings. Somehow, totally irrationally, there is new hope in the air. Somehow, for no logical reason, the tiredness of the old year has slipped away and been replaced with a new excitement and enthusiasm.

I’m reminded yet again of all the places in the Word where God talks about new things … a new heart, a new spirit, a new life, a new Covenant, a new heaven and a new earth. He promises that He will do new things. He calls us onward to a new day, and offers us a new beginning every time we turn to Him in repentance and faith. Clearly God is very much about the new.

I’m reminded, too, that God is also about the old. He is from everlasting to everlasting. In the Old Testament He said, “I am the Lord, I change not”, whilst the New Testament reminds us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” God does not change, because He is perfect, and perfection is absolute. Growth implies that there was a lack, and there is no lack in God.

It seems like a contradiction in terms … how can God be always new, yet always the same?

The contradiction only arises from our earth-bound, limited perspective. The “new” things are only new to us, they are not new to God. The New Covenant, for instance, was always part of God’s purposes; but it had to be preceded by the Old Covenant to give it a firm foundation. The “new” things that God plans to do in your life and mine in 2010 have been planned by Him for all eternity … He has just been waiting for us to be ready for them.

So, as we enjoy the “newness” of 2010, let’s also take a few moments to rejoice in the “oldness” of our relationship with God … that “old, old story” of the Covenant set in the heart of God before the universe began, and fulfilled 2000 years ago when God stepped into the pages of human history to pay our debt to Himself. Let’s remind us of the unchangeableness of His character and the certainty of His promises. And let’s rest in the sure knowledge that the ageless and unchanging God already knows every nanosecond of the year ahead – and of all the years to follow – and has gone ahead of us. No doubt this year will hold many things that will be new to us, but they will not be new to Him.

I wish you all God’s super-abundant blessings for every area of your lives in 2010.

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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Here in Australia it is Christmas morning. Although the temperature on Wednesday soared to 39 Celsius, this morning is pleasantly cool and the predicted top is in the low twenties. The tree is up, and surrounded with presents for family and friends. The food for today’s lunch is all prepared. All that remains is to decorate the table. Friends will come and eat with me for lunch, then I will go and join them for dinner, an arrangement we have had for the past 4 years. A quiet day, nothing big or exciting. In the new year I will travel to Queensland, along the way catching up with my son and his family in Wollongong, and then when I get to Queensland with my other son and his family up there, as well as a few other special friends.

Last night I watched on television the second of the major Christmas carols productions for the year, the Carols by Candelight from the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. Last Sunday I had watched the carols from the Domain in Sydney. Maybe it’s just me, but it seemed that this year both leaned a little more strongly toward the true spiritual meaning of Christmas than they have for quite a few years now. It was wonderful to hear the true Gospel story proclaimed in song – in some cases, at least, by people who obviously actually believed it – to a huge audience throughout Australia. Maybe, just maybe, this long, hard year has had a positive effect… maybe, just maybe, it has caused people to begin to look for spiritual truth.

I know there are Christians who don’t celebrate Christmas, including some of my dear personal friends. They say it is just a pagan celebration (yet we say “Jesus is the reason for the Season.”) They say that Jeremiah 10 says Christmas trees are an abomination (even though Jeremiah was writing to his own generation, hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, and was simply talking about the making of wooden idols.) They say Jesus wasn’t born on 25th December (no, He wasn’t – but then, neither was the Queen born on the day we celebrate as her birthday.)

They can say what they like. For me, the opportunity to publicly declare “Joy to the world, the Lord has come! Let earth receive her King!” overrides all the arguments. Read the words of some of the wonderful old carols like “We Three Kings” – they are the Gospel in a nutshell, designed to teach people who didn’t have the benefits of a readily accessible Bible. If, amid the trees and tinsel, the presents and materialism, the food and grog, people who would never normally open a Bible are willing to open their hearts even a little to the message that God the Son left the glories of heaven to be born into a sinful world, so that He could grow to manhood and die for the sins of mankind – then long live Christmas!

I pray that for you and yours, Christmas 2009 will be a blessed, peaceful and safe celebration.

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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Yesterday I attended a big church in our state’s capital city. I went because one of my favorite preachers, a man whose messages downloaded from the internet have blessed me greatly, was ministering there, and I wanted to get “close up” to his anointing, even though it involved several hours of train travel each way to get there.

This man’s message, as usual, was anointed and powerful, but I was greatly disturbed by the “worship” that preceded it. I arrived late to the first service – an unavoidable consequence of long distance train connections. The meeting was held in a concert hall, and when I arrived the house lights were off and the only lighting was on the stage, with spotlights circling the auditorium. At the natural level this created problems, because the only seating available was on the balcony, and this being tiered there were steps up to the seats – steps that were impossible to see in the darkness. Far more importantly, though, it prompted the question: What does darkness have to do with worship? Are we not children of the light, walking in the light, and worshiping a God who is in the light? Is there darkness in heaven?

The music was loud – so loud that, seated in the back row of the balcony, I could feel the vibrations through my seat! Definitely loud enough to cause hearing damage to every person in that auditorium. Exactly how does this honor God? At one point the pastor stood up and said that “heaven is a noisy place.” This is certainly true, and a point that I have made myself many times through the years – a hundred million angels all declaring the glory of God “in a loud voice” is certainly not quiet! However, heaven is not a closed auditorium where sound reverberates off every surface, nor, I am sure, does it have amplifiers turned up as far as they can go without exploding!

Added to the darkness and noise were colored lights and a smoke machine. The second session, for which I was on time, opened with the auditorium again in darkness, the stage bathed in blue light and billowing smoke, and an explosion of heavy guitar riffs. In other words, exactly what you would find at a rock concert. The total focus was on the stage and the musicians. What was being worshipped here – regardless of what words were put to it – was not God, but the music, the musos, and the experience. How did this offer the hundreds of people in attendance, most of them very young, anything different from what they could have received at any rock concert? In part of his message the preacher said, “It’s not about us” yet the whole atmosphere told these young people that it most definitely was all about them.

The whole thing left me deeply grieved in my spirit. When will God’s people learn that noise does not equate to anointing? When will we learn that we do not have to imitate the world, but rather that we are to be radically different from the world? When will we learn that worship is not about us, but about God? When will we learn that indulging our senses does not bring us into God’s presence? And where are the prophets who would be bold enough to cry out, “This is not the way!”?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that the Church should be stiff and starchy and never sing anything but old hymns. It is not the style of music that is the problem, but the presentation and the focus. If the focus of the worship is the music and the experience rather than the Lord, then it is false worship regardless of whether the style is rock or baroque.

Church, wake up! We are not here to compete with the world on the world’s terms. We are here to counter the spirit of the age with a vastly different spirit. We are not here to call young people to sign up for a free rock concert every week – how difficult is that? – but to call them to a costly commitment of service to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are not here to indulge our flesh, but to manifest the glory of the Lord. Church, it’s time to stop trying to be the word, and start being the Church of the living God.

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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A friend of mine is spending some time in the desert. God has taken him out of a very successful area of ministry, and he is waiting for the Lord to reveal the next steps in his walk with Him. I sympathize with him – I’ve been there myself many times, and it is not a place that I enjoy at all.

“Wait” is one of those four-letter words that most of us really don’t want to hear. We want to be moving, to be seeing results. We want our answers now, if not yesterday.

Yet so often God’s answer to our prayers is “wait”. Our reaction, depending on our personality, may be to get mad with God or to get mad with ourselves. In the latter case, we sometimes question our faith (“Don’t I have enough?”) or our position with God (“Have I done something terrible and now God doesn’t want to know me?”)

Neither of these are necessarily true. As we read through the Bible, we find that many of God’s saints had to endure a time of waiting, for all sorts of reasons.

Abraham waited for the promise of a son. His waiting was not always patient, and he tried to help God out – and in doing so created a huge problem for the world – but ultimately, he held on to the promise. Why did he have to wait so long? Could it be that the very act of endurance increased his faith?

Joseph also waited for the promise. Unwise in his early sharing of God’s revelation, he endured years of set backs before coming into it. Yet those years were a growth time, as Joseph showed over and over again the naturalness of his leadership, rising to the top in whatever situation he found himself. Joseph at 17 could not have coped with the second rank of authority in Egypt, but by the time he was ready for the Prime-Ministership, Egypt was ready for him.

Moses waited forty long lonely years in the desert before he was able to fulfill his vision of liberating his Hebrew people from the tyranny of Egypt. God needed that long to get Moses own strength out of the way, so that Moses would learn to walk in God’s strength and authority.

Caleb waited for his inheritance. Imagine what it must have been like for Caleb. He had been ready to go in and take the promised land from the first time he saw it, but because of the people’s disobedience and lack of faith, they had to wander forty years in the wilderness before they could enter. Every time he looked across the Jordan river, Caleb must have thought to himself, “There’s my inheritance over there. If it weren’t for this lot, I’d be there now!” Yet he held on to the dream, and when the people finally entered Canaan, he did not hesitate to approach Joshua and claim his promise.

In fact, even God waited. The plan for man’s salvation was in place before ever man fell into sin, but God waited for the “fullness of time”, the time when all things would come together to make it the right time for the manifestation of the Son. Now He waits again, for the sin of man to reach its fullness, so that no one can ever accuse Him of being unjust in His judgment.

Waiting may be to build our faith, it may be to purify us, it may be to allow other people or the circumstances to come to the place where they need to be, it may be to bring us to a place where we are more interested in our personal relationship with the Lord than we are in whatever it is that we are seeking. Sometimes it may even be simply to give us a “breather” before we move on to a new and very busy stage of our lives.

Can we speed up the wait? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. If we are waiting for others to come into line, all we can do is pray that it will happen swiftly. Perhaps the best thing we can do is to concentrate on seeking God’s face, and allow Him to work it all out in His time.

Whatever way you cut it, that means waiting.

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
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9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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Often we think of the forty years which Israel spent wandering in the wilderness as nothing but punishment for their sin of doubt and disobedience when they failed to cross the Jordan into the promised land, preferring to accept the negative reports of ten spies than the faith statements of the two. However, some very important things for the nation took place during those years, not the least of which was that they were forced to a place of total dependance upon God. Removed from any means by which they could provide for themselves, they had no choice but to look to God for everything they needed.

More than that, in their looking to God they had to be where He was. Day by day they had His visible presence with them in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, reminding them that His provision and His protection could never be had apart from His presence. If any of them was silly enough to go charging off on his own, venturing out without the visible presence of God, he would very quickly find himself also removed from all the blessing that God’s presence brought, and struggling to fend for himself. Likewise, if someone decided that he was comfortable where he was, and didn’t want to move when the cloud began to move, he also would soon find that God’s provision and protection were no longer with him. He could try as hard as he liked to take hold “by faith” of all that God was, and all that God wanted to be for him, but if he had removed himself from God’s presence it simply was not going to happen.

We too need to learn to remain where the cloud is. Too often we want God’s “presents” without His “presence”. We forget that faith only works when it is pointed in the right direction. Faith in faith will get us nowhere, and often faith in people will not get us much further. That doesn’t me that we should not trust people, but people are not our source and never can be. Only God is our source (that’s part of what it means for Him to be God) and only faith in God is effective faith. Faith, however, is a very immediate thing. It is not good at travelling long distances. If we are far from God’s presence, faith simply doesn’t work. We can strive and struggle and twist ourselves into all kinds of shapes trying to believe and to take hold of God’s promises, but if we have removed ourselves from His presence, our faith has nothing to take hold of, and we find ourselves wondering what went wrong.

Our life with God is never static. It is always about moving, about growth, not about getting comfortable in one place (spiritually, and sometimes physically) and settling down. It is a “walk”, not a “sit”. (Yes, we are seated with Christ in heavenly places, but that is a different dimension.) Like the ancient Israelites, we need to learn to watch the cloud. We need to move when God moves, and to stand still when He stands still. We need to change our focus, so that the most important thing is not where we are, but where He is. When we focus on where we are, we start looking at our surroundings. Either they are very nice and we want to stay put – which becomes a problem when God wants to move – or they are anything but nice and we want to get out of there – which becomes a problem when God wants to stay put! When we focus on where He is, then that is where we want to be, regardless of what the circumstances surrounding us may be.

Are you finding that faith is a struggle and the blessing of God seems to have moved? Could it be that you have removed yourself from God’s presence? Have you perhaps run ahead, eager to get on with the next thing, when God wants to linger where you have been, maybe to deal with some issues in your life, maybe to build deeper relationships, maybe simply to wait for His timing? Stop, step back, get back into God’s presence. His timing will surely come, and when it does it will be perfect. More importantly, you will walk into His timing in His presence.

Others maybe have lingered behind when God was moving on. You have wanted to cling to what has been, to live in the old anointing. A friend of mine used to say, “God moves. Then man turns it into a movement, then he turns it into a monument, and finally he turns it into a mausoleum.” Yesterday’s anointing was wonderful – for yesterday. It was not made for tomorrow. That which is easy and comfortable may seem very nice, but it can lull us to sleep and desensitise us to both the presence of God and the danger of sin. If God has moved, then no matter how good yesterday was, you need to get up and leave it behind, and follow that cloud!

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
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9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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When we talk about ordination in relation to the Royal Priesthood, it is important that we remember that we are not talking about “ministry” in the sense of an exclusive group within the Church, but of the whole Body of Christ. We are all “ordained” to be priests of God.

In the Old Testament the ordination ceremony consisted of four elements: washing, clothing, anointing and consecration.

First, the priestly candidates were to be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and washed with water. (Exodus 29:4Exodus 29:4
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4 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tent of meeting, and shall wash them with water.

WP-Bible plugin) This indicated to the whole congregation (and also reminded the priests themselves) that they, like everyone else, needed to be cleansed before they could approach the Throne of God. Unlike false religions, which elevated their priests as holy men, and sometimes even as semi-gods, God wanted it clearly understood that these were ordinary men, sinners in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness, and that they held their position not because of any merit of their own but because of God’s grace which had caused them to be born into the priestly line.

We also need to remember that God’s gracious choice of us does not make us better than those in the world. Like them, we needed – and continue to need – God’s forgiveness and mercy. When I was a child there was a saying which was applied regularly on seeing someone in worse circumstances than ourselves: “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” It is a truth we would do well to remember as we reach out even to those we consider the worst of sinners, lest we fall into the trap (of which unbelievers so often accuse us) of thinking ourselves better than those to whom we minister.

Secondly, the priests were clothed in the priestly garments. This spoke both of their “setting apart” for the priesthood, and the fact that they were clothed with an authority which was not their own. Exodus 28:40Exodus 28:40
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40 “You shall make coats for Aaron’s sons, and you shall make sashes for them and headbands shall you make for them, for glory and for beauty.

WP-Bible plugin says that the garments were “to give them dignity and honour.” Even though they were ordinary men, they were called to an extraordinary function, and were given the authority for that function. They were to be respected, not because of who they were in themselves, but because of the office in which they stood.

Although we, too, are ordinary people, we have also been called to a high office. As priests unto our God we are His ambassadors (2 Cor 5:202 Cor 5:20
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20 We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

WP-Bible plugin), and as such we have an authority which is not our own, but is a part of the office to which we are called. We are called to walk in humility, but not to be “doormats”. We need to stand tall in the dignity and honour with which God has clothed us, and not be afraid to walk in that authority.

Next, the priest was anointed by pouring oil on his head. (Exodus 29:7Exodus 29:7
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7 Then you shall take the anointing oil, and pour it on his head, and anoint him.

WP-Bible plugin) The oil spoke of God’s favour and blessing (Ps 23:5Ps 23:5
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5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over.

WP-Bible plugin). Since oil is used for lubrication, it also spoke of God’s enabling, equipping the priest for his service; and since oil was also used for burning, it spoke of God’s empowering.

We also need God’s favour and blessing, His enabling and equipping, and His empowering. We receive it in our “personal Pentecost”, when the Holy Spirit comes upon us in power not to bring us into the Kingdom of God, but to release us as God’s priests, as His witnesses. When we consider that even Jesus, who was God in the flesh, did not begin His earthly ministry until He had received that power outpouring from the Spirit at His baptism, how much more do we need it! The Baptism in the Holy Spirit was never meant to be just a nice spiritual experience – it is meant to equip us for all that God has called us to be.

Finally, the priests were consecrated. One ram was used to consecrate the altar and the sacred objects. Then the priests laid their hands on the second ram, identifying with it ( Exodus 29:19Exodus 29:19
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19 “You shall take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.

WP-Bible plugin), after which it was slaughtered. No-one could possibly mistake the significance that this consecration was a consecration unto death! The moment the future priest laid his hands on that ram, he became a dead man. His life was no longer his own. Self no longer had any place. Then, just to emphasise it even further, the first place the blood was daubed was on his right ear. This was a reminder of the law which allowed a slave who was due for release to bind himself permanently to his master. If the slave indicated that he did not want to leave his master, the master was to take him before the judges, stand him beside a doorpost and pierce his earlobe with an awl (Exodus 21:6Exodus 21:6
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6 then his master shall bring him to God, and shall bring him to the door or to the door-post, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever.

WP-Bible plugin), after which the slave was bound to his master for life. Thus the priest was bound to the Lord for a lifetime of service. The blood was then daubed on the thumb of his right hand and the big toe of his right foot, indicating that the priest no longer had right of control over what he did in service for the Lord, or where he went.

Our sacrificial Lamb was slain for us at Calvary. We were happy to identify with Him in His death on our behalf, bearing away our sins. But have we really come to understand that identifying with Him means identifying with His death? That we, like the priests of old, have been consecrated unto death? That death to self is not an optional extra of our Christian walk, but the very heart and essence of it? That we no longer have rights over our lives, or to choose our form or place of service?

When we came to Jesus, we were ordained into the Royal Priesthood, and priests have to be every bit as dead as the sacrifice they offer.

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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In the Old Testament, the priest was to wear specific garments to identify himself and the role he was to fulfill. Likewise, we of the New Covenant priesthood have special garments we are to wear in our priestly service.

The first of these is the robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10Isaiah 61:10
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10 I will greatly rejoice in Yahweh, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

WP-Bible plugin). This is not something which we have ourselves, but something which God provides for us through Christ. Jesus told the parable of the ruler who had invited all his friends and neighbours to a feast. When it was ready, he called them, but each of them had some excuse for not coming. So the ruler sent his servants out into the highways and byways to bring in anyone they could find. After they had done so, there was a man in the feast who was not appropriately dressed. The ruler was angry, and ordered that this man be thrown out.

For many years I thought this parable was very harsh. After all, the poor fellow had been pulled in from the street or field where he was working, he did not have time to go home and get cleaned up for the party. However, when I learned about the culture of the Middle East in the first century I understood that this is in fact a very clear picture of our relationship with God. It was quite normal to issue an invitation with no specific date or time, then when everything was ready to simply call those invited to come. This meant that they would be coming straight from their work, and would arrived dressed in their work clothes. Therefore it was the responsibility of the host to provide a “festive garment”, which would cover their own dirty clothes. The only way anybody could be found at a celebration without a festive garment was if that person had refused the garment offered and insisted on remaining in his dirty work wear. To do this would be a terrible insult to the host, and ample reason for the offender to be thrown out on his ear.

In the same way, God calls us while we are dirty – not from work, but from sin. He provides for us the righteousness of Jesus, to cover our own unrighteousness. The only way we can be found without His righteousness is if we have insisted in standing in our own self-righteousness, which is in fact filthy sin. To do that is to refuse God’s grace, and to lose our place in the Kingdom.

Not only in our personal salvation, but especially in our priestly service, it is important for us to remember that we stand only by God’s grace. His choosing of us was not because of anything in us, but purely because of His grace.

The Old Testament priest wore an ephod and a breastplate. The ephod contained the Urim and Thumim, stones which were used to determine the will of God in any matter, and the breastplate was set with twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel, which were to be worn over the heart of the priest. Both of these speak of the prophetic nature of the New Covenant priesthood. Even those who are not called to the prophetic office, even those who do not move in the prophetic gifts, have the Spirit of God living within and are therefore able to hear the voice of God and know His will. Likewise, even those who are not intercessors are to carry the people on their hearts before the Lord.

The Old Testament priest also wore a turban, with a gold plate at the front inscribed “holy to the Lord”. In modern language, this was like a sign saying “For God’s use only!” As New Covenant priests we are set aside for God’s service. Whether we are called to “full time” ministry or not, our first commitment is to the work of the Lord. That work may be carried out in front of a congregation, or it may be carried out in an office or factory or on a farm, or in any number of other situations in which people live and work. We may be a “minister”, or we may be a cook or an accountant or a labourer or a sailor – no matter what function we carry out, we are first and foremost a priest of the living God, set apart for His service in whatever form it may take.

Finally, the garments of the Old Testament priests were to be made of linen, so that the priests did not sweat. As New Covenant priests, we must learn not to strive and struggle in our own strength, but to rest in Jesus and be yoked together with Him. Our own efforts will never minister to anybody, and may in fact be a hindrance to those we would seek to help.

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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Today we are looking at the second thing which a priesthood has in common, and that is their place of service.

When the Old Testament priesthood was first formed under Moses, the place of service was the Tabernacle, the tent which accompanied the Israelites in their travels. At the centre of the Tabernacle was the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant was placed, and where God “dwelt” in the midst of His people. The entire service of the priesthood was carried out within the confines of the Tabernacle, in the place of God’s presence.

When the Temple was built under Solomon, it had the same basic layout as the Tabernacle: the outer court, which was open to the people, the Holy Place, where only the priests could go, and the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept, and which could be entered only by the High Priest, and then only once a year and with special restrictions. God chose to manifest His presence, the Shekinah, in the Temple. Again, the whole of the priestly service was carried out within the Temple. God made it very clear that He would not accept sacrifices which were offered anywhere other than at the Temple in Jerusalem.

After the death of Solomon, God divided the nation, giving the northern half to Jeroboam. (1 Kings

11:31) He accompanied this with an awesome promise: “as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel. If you do whatever I command you and walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you.” (1 Kings 11:381 Kings 11:38
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38 It shall be, if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do that which is right in my eyes, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with you, and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you.

WP-Bible plugin) Jeroboam’s kingship was guaranteed by God, as long as Jeroboam obeyed God. That obedience included the priesthood serving God in the Temple at Jerusalem.

However, Jeroboam obviously did not believe God’s promise. He decided that if the people continued to go to the Temple in Jerusalem to worship, they would return to serving Rehoboam, the King of Judah, and that his own life could be in danger as a result. To counteract this possibility he established new worship centres at Dan and Bethel, made golden calves as the “gods” who reigned from them, and set up a priesthood of his own choosing for their worship. (1 Kings 12:25-331 Kings 12:25-33
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25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and lived therein; and he went out from there, and built Penuel. ²⁶ Jeroboam said in his heart, Now will the kingdom return to the house of David: ²⁷ if this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of Yahweh at Jerusalem, then will the heart of this people turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah. ²⁸ Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: see your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt. ²⁹ He set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. ³⁰ This thing became a sin; for the people went to worship before the one, even to Dan. ³¹ He made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi. ³² Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; so did he in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made. ³³ He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart: and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up to the altar, to burn incense.

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Notice that Jeroboam’s idolatry began with his refusal to accept the Temple at Jerusalem as the only legitimate place of service to God.

So how does all this relate to us as the New Testament priesthood? Firstly, we know that for us the place of service is not physical. We have a bad habit of referring to buildings as “churches”, but the building is not the church, it is merely the place where the church meets. The word refers to us both corporately and individually as God’s Temple. However, the principle which carries through from the Old Testament is that the Temple was the place of God’s presence. Just as the whole of the Old Testament priests’ service was carried out in the place of God’s presence, so our service as New Testament priests can only be carried out in the place of His presence.

The minute we try to move out from God’s presence to carry out our service to Him, we fall into the error of Jeroboam. If we will not serve God in the place of His choosing, then it is not God we are serving but a god of our own creation. Moving out of God’s presence inevitably and invariably leads to idolatry.

In the Temple the Holy of Holies contained the Ark of the Covenant. The covenant is the absolutely binding relationship between the Lord and us. When we move away from His presence, we move away from that relationship, and all the strength and benefits that that relationship brings.

The Ark of the Covenant contained the tablets of the Law, which spoke of God’s righteousness. As New Covenant priests we don’t have an external law written on tablets of stone. Rather, God has given us His righteousness and written His law on our hearts by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. If we move away from the place of His presence, we move away from His righteousness. Without His righteousness, we are left to stand in our own righteousness, which is no righteousness at all.

The Ark also contained the pot of Manna, speaking of God’s provision. God’s provision, both spiritual and material, cannot be separated from His person. Much as some would try, it is not possible to take the gift without the giver. Thus, when we separate ourselves from the place of God’s presence, we are also separating ourselves from the place of His provision.

Finally the Ark held Aaron’s rod that budded, speaking of God’s power. The only way to move in God’s power is to be connected to the power supply. When we remove ourselves from the place of His presence, we remove ourselves from that supply.

When we look at the two distinctives of priesthood, it is obvious that they can only be exercised in the presence of God. Firstly, priesthood is about access to God. It should be obvious that we only have access to God by coming to Him, yet so many try to access Him by reading about Him or listening to sermons about Him, or through the prayers of others. Don’t get me wrong. Books are great (I’m a writer, I have to say that!). Sermons are great (I’m a preacher, I have to say that too!). Intercession is great (and yes, I’m an intercessor so I have to say that too!). But all those things can only give you a second hand relationship with God. A priest has access. To have access, you have to personally enter into His presence.

Secondly, priesthood is about representation – representing God to the world, and the world to God. Again, it should be obvious that this can only be done from the presence of God. It is not enough for us to take the God whom we know only on a second hand basis and try to present Him to a desperately needy world on a third hand basis. Nor can we hope to bring the needs of that world before God unless we actually personally come before Him.

In the Old Testament there was no legitimate place of priestly service other than the Tabernacle and later the Temple. In the New Covenant there is no possible place of priestly service other than the place of God’s presence. Are you serving in and from His presence, or are you trying to serve somewhere else?

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: World English Bible - WEB
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

WP-Bible plugin)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9Colossians 2:9
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,

WP-Bible plugin)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11Philippians 2:9-11
English: World English Bible - WEB
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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