The church!

What has been the main focus of the Church?  Getting sinners to the altar.

Untold millions of hours have been spent in churches and halls pleading with people to come to the altar.

The ministry of repentance!

We have focused all of our energy on the Altar and that is great! But there is more!

 (Mat 3:11 KJV) I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: (Mat 3:12 KJV) Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

(John 3:28 KJV) Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.(John 3:29 KJV) He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. (John 3:30 KJV) He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:31 KJV) He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

Most of the churches in the United States has focused on the altar. In fact, most of the churches in the US think that there is really no other ministry.

Most Christians never get past the altar. Most believers don't even understand the other ministries in the tabernacle.  (the altar is located in the outer court of the tabernacle)

The first thing we see when we come into the tabernacle is the Brazen Altar.

This is the place where sacrifice was made for sin.

Jesus took care of our sin once and for all. We come to him and HE forgives our sin.

Most of never go any further! In fact, we come back here over and over and over again.

God wants us to move on.

Next was the Laver.

(Exo 30:18 KJV) Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. (Exo 30:19 KJV) For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: (Exo 30:20 KJV) When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD: (Exo 30:21 KJV) So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.

The key to staying alive is not repentance alone but Cleansing after repentance.   Getting it out of your life not just forgiven!

Many of us think that forgiveness is all God is interested in.

God wants us to become clean!

(Psa 24:1 KJV) A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. (Psa 24:2 KJV) For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. (Psa 24:3 KJV) Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? (Psa 24:4 KJV) He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. (Psa 24:5 KJV) He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

(Psa 24:6 KJV) This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. (Psa 24:7 KJV) Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. (Psa 24:8 KJV) Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. (Psa 24:9 KJV) Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. (Psa 24:10 KJV) Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

You see….the goal of this whole journey is to get to the Holy of Holies.

The whole glory of the priesthood was moving into the presence of God.

God wants us clean that we may enter in.

Thank God for the ministry of the altar!

We would all be lost without it.

The Glory of the Lord has never fallen at the Altar…it falls in the Holy of Holies!

His presence has never manifested itself in the outer court…only in the inner court!!

We have to move beyond the ministry of John the Baptist to the Ministry of Jesus.

John's ministry precedes the ministry of Jesus.

Altar first!

Laver next! Feet and Hands

These are all outer court experiences.

Altar of Incenses, Shewbread, The Golden lampstand, these things were in the holy place.

Then entrance to the Most Holy Place.

The Ark, the Mercy Seat, the Cherubim, The Glory!

The ministry of Jesus is reconciliation!

He came to restore us back to the presence of the Father. To give back what Adam lost. Direct fellowship with God.

Just as the priest of old…We come to the altar, we cleanse at the Laver, we offer up our Praise, prayer and worship at Incense, we offer sacrifice at Shewbread, we are filled with the Holy Spirit at the candlestick, we enter the Holy of Holies!

Our ultimate ministry is unto Him in the Holiest place!

Don't stop outside but come in to the place of fellowship, intimacy with your Father.

(1 Pet 2:9 KJV) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: (1 Pet 2:10 KJV) Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.