INTRODUCTION PRAYER & FASTING REASONS FOR FASTING

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2 INTRODUCTION In preparation for our 2018 celebration of Easter, we are calling the church into 21 days of prayer and fasting. As a result of our unified effort to pray and fast, we desire for the power of God to move in and through every soul. We desire to experience a celebration of our Lord s resurrection in a fresh and glorious way. This season of prayer and fasting will begin Monday, March 12, 2018 and conclude Sunday, April 1, While a fast is recommended, it is not required. As we approach this season, let us consider the following matters: PRAYER & FASTING Biblical fasting is going without food in order to focus on prayer and fellowship with God. The Hebrew word tsom and the Greek word nesteia for fasting means to voluntarily abstain from food. Fasting is the greatest spiritual discipline for seeking God s intervention. Combined with prayer, they make up the most powerful weapon for spiritual warfare, deliverance, and victorious Christian living. REASONS FOR FASTING The Bible suggests several reasons for fasting. To demonstrate humility before our sovereign God. 2 Chronicles 7:14 To seek God s presence more fully. Jeremiah 29:13 To demonstrate our sincerity to God concerning something we truly desire. Ezra 8:21-31 To know God s will. Acts 13:1-3 To develop Godly discipline. 1 Corinthians 9:27 To set Godly priorities in our life. Matthew 6:33 To experience revival. Joel 2:12-13

3 WORD OF CAUTION Since biblical fasting is the abstinence of food, it is not wise for people with certain health limitations to participate. The following should refrain: Pregnant and nursing mothers Children and Teenagers Senior Adults People who are recovering from illness, injury, or surgery People who are highly underweight People who have diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, and other chronic health problems. Since many of our church body would fall into these categories, an option will be discussed later that will enable these to participate. TYPES OF FASTS The Bible describes several ways to fast. Regular Fast a fast that refrains from food while still drinking water or juice for a specific time. When Jesus fasted in the desert for forty days, the Bible says Jesus was hungry but it mentioned nothing about Him being thirsty. Partial Fast a fast that omits a specific meal during the day or a specific type of food for a specific time. In Daniel 10:2-3, during a three week period of mourning, the prophet Daniel did not eat meat or choice foods. Full Fast a fast that refrains from food and drink for a specific time. Acts 9:9 describes when Paul went on a full fast where he did not eat or drink for three days following his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. It is recommended that this type of fast be done with extreme caution and not for an extended period of time. Another fast has been created to accommodate those with certain health limitations. Targeted Fast while food or drink is not involved one who seeks to fast can eliminate other necessities or personal interests from their life for a specific time. Things such as, television, movies, internet (social media), cell phone, sporting activities, hobbies, or reduced amounts of sleep are avoided.

4 SUGGESTION FOR THE 21 DAYS OF FASTING The regular, partial, or targeted fasts can be observed for the entire twentyone days, for example, you would observe a regular fast for 21 days and refrain from food, a partial fast for 21 days and skip one meal a day, or a targeted fast for 21 days and refrain from viewing television and/or social media. Another option would be the inclusion of each fast, for example, you could begin the first week with a targeted fast followed by a partial fast for the second week and ending with a regular or full fast for the third week. BEGINNING AND BREAKING A FAST If you are fasting for the first time, you might begin by missing a meal or two leading up to your specific fast. Begin by refraining from solid foods, but drink liquids, especially water since it is a purifier. Breaking the fast may require as much discipline as beginning it. End your fast with juice for your first meal or first day(s) depending on the degree and duration of your fast. Gradually introduce small amounts of digestible foods such as yogurt, soup, fresh fruits, and cooked vegetables. PRAYER DURING THE FAST During the fast, set aside specific and significant times to worship and seek the Lord. Plan where you will be so your time will be unhurried and conducive to enjoying the presence of the Lord. Each day, pray for yourself and our church. After you leave your quiet place each day, remain in a spirit of prayer Pray without ceasing (1Thessalonians 5:17) and meditate daily on the Scripture and devotion. The selected Scriptures and devotions focus on the temple of God.

5 But it happened that night that the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying, Go and tell My servant David, thus says the LORD: Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? 2 Samuel 7:4-5 The main purpose for David s calling was to build the temple, a dwelling place for God. Because of David s sin, he forfeited his privilege to build God s house. (1 Chronicles 28:3) King David was known for many great accomplishments but the one thing God called David to do, he could not do! This privilege was passed down to David s son, Solomon. (1 Chronicles 28:6) Solomon completed the first temple in 957 B.C. It was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Construction for the second temple began in 538 B.C. and was completed and dedicated by Zerubbabel in 515 B.C. It was destroyed by the Roman Empire in 70 A.D. David s inability to build a house for God had nothing to do with God s love, or the lack thereof, for David. Before and after David s sin, God loved David with an everlasting love. However, because of God s holy nature, He could not ignore the consequences for sin. Therefore, the consequence for David s sin cost him dearly. David remained King but he could not do the one thing God called him to do. The same can be said of Moses. God called Moses to lead His children from the bondage of Egypt into the freedom of the Promised Land but when Moses struck the rock with his staff, he forfeited his privilege to enter the Promised Land with his people. (Deuteronomy 32:51-52) What is your purpose? What has God called you to do? Whatever your purpose may be, the task is to glorify God. It is not to make a name for yourself but to make the name of Jesus familiar and famous within the circle of your influence. He saved you for more than just the privilege of going to heaven when you die. You have been called to fulfill a divine purpose on earth. Do you know your purpose? Are you fulfilling your purpose? Like David and Moses, sin can keep you from fulfilling your purpose. Sin could cost you dearly! If your sin causes you to suffer extreme consequences, the actions of God do not mean He does not love you. He loves you with an everlasting love! You are eternally secure in Him. Are you on the verge of forfeiting your purpose because of your unwillingness to confess and

6 repent of your sin? God, who is rich in grace and mercy, has blessed you to accomplish much for Him. Please do not allow sin to possibly keep you from fulfilling your purpose for God. Do not risk missing out on an earthly or a spiritual blessing. Do not risk missing out on an eternal reward or the possibility of not hearing Jesus say to you, Well Done! Today, has God revealed any sin in your life that you need to confess? Will you confess it right now and experience God s forgiveness? I pray you will live today with an awareness of your divine purpose. Wherever you go today, please remember to keep the main thing the main thing! So Solomon built the temple and finished it. 1 Kings 6:14 During God s creative process, two of His creations stand heads above all creations: humanity and the temple. God created mankind Himself then used mankind to construct the temple. Both creations were created with the same purpose in mind: to bring glory to Jehovah God. The temple was the most magnificent edifice of the ancient world. Every structure, known to man, paled in comparison to God s glorious house. God gave Solomon a blueprint and he built God s home to His divine specifications. Solomon enlisted thirty thousand men to build the temple. God gave favor to Solomon to gather all the materials, not only from amongst his own land but also, from the lands of those who did not acknowledge Jehovah God. (1 Kings 5) It took Solomon twenty years to finish the Temple. (1 Kings 9:10) Although the Jews knew the temple belonged to God and stood as a reminder to God s glory (1 Kings 8:43), they were guilty of admiring creation more than the Creator. They focused more on the building than their God. They placed more attention and emphasis on the masterpiece and less on their Master. In many ways the temple became their god. Because of their spiritual blindness, they often ignored the reminders to reverence God more than His house. The writer of Hebrews addressed this in chapter three verse three, He who built the house has more honor than the house. One would think to honor one s house means you are showing honor to its owner.

7 However, God knew His children were more partial to His house than to Him. As a child of the Most High God, do you oftentimes find yourself more amazed with or in awe of creation than you are with your Creator? You know full well that all glory belongs to God but do you reverence the things of God more than the God of your things? Have certain things become your god? Do you place more attention and affection on creation than you do your Creator? As a spouse, do you love your mate more than Jesus? Be honest! As a parent, do you love your children more than Jesus? Do you love your hobbies more than Jesus? Do you spend more time in devotion to your family, friends, school, job, or leisurely activities than you spend in worship, work, and witness to God? Are the works of God more magnificent to you than God Himself? If the answer is yes, then your temple means more to you than your God! Would you, this very moment, confess what God knows to be true if you glory in the masterpiece more than the Master? Would you heed the reminder from this devotion to readjust your gaze and your glance? Would you, once again, fix your gaze on Jesus and your glance on the things He created? Today, conduct yourself in such a way that it will be evident to God, to others, and to you that all glory truly belongs to God. I have consecrated this House which you have built to put My name there forever, and My eyes and my heart will be there perpetually. 1 Kings 9:3b Once completed, King Solomon led the children of Israel in dedicating the temple to God. At the conclusion of the dedication, God told Solomon He would take up residence forever. The temple consisted of seven major areas: Solomon s Porch, the Court of the Gentiles, the Court of the Women, the Court of the Israelites, the Court of the Priests, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. In the devotions to come, we will learn more about the significance of each area.

8 Although this house honored a perfect God, the people who entered in and the functions they performed were not perfect. This building did not represent an end unto itself; rather, it was a means to a greater end. The temple was not perfect because it posed several restrictions. First, there were restrictions on the people concerning who could come in. The temple was not freely open to everyone. Some people were not allowed on the premises. The unclean and unlawful were forbidden to enter. Their sins and sicknesses would defile the holy house of God. Second, there were restrictions as to the places where people could go. The Gentiles were the most restricted of peoples. They could gather on Solomon s Porch and in the Court of the Gentiles but that is as far as they could go. The rest and majority of the temple was off limits to them. Jewish women could gather on Solomon s Porch, pass through the Court of the Gentiles and enter the Court of the Women. The Court of the Women was for Jewish women only. The Jewish men could pass through all the above and enter into the Court of the Israelites. The Jewish priests could pass through the above and enter the Court of the Priests. The High Priest could pass through the above and enter the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. The High Priest was granted full access to the temple because he held the master key! Just think, most likely, if you are reading this devotion, you are a Gentile and if so, you would have been limited as to where you could go in the temple. You would have known what it felt like to be considered among the very least of God s creation. The restrictions placed on you may have dampened your self-worth. You would never hear the reading and instruction from God s Word, or participate in the giving of tithes and offerings, or seek the forgiveness of sins, and worship Jehovah God because of your restrictions. The imperfections noted by these obvious restrictions would have clouded your ability to experience the glory of a perfect God. You would not know the joy of communing with a holy God simply because of your race. You would be restricted because you did not possess a master key that gave you full access to God and His house! However, praise God, you are no longer restricted! Through Christ, you can come boldly to the throne of God. Jesus made available to all who would believe a master key that provides full access to Him. Sickness and sin cannot separate you, race cannot separate you, and gender cannot separate you. Nothing can separate you from the love of God! At this very moment, do you feel any restrictions to God? Do you feel unworthy to approach God? Do you have unconfessed sin that keeps you from enjoying divine fellowship with God? Have you allowed the adversary to convince you into believing the restrictions are still in force? Would you

9 confess your feelings and possible sins to God? Our Great God wants to free your body and mind from any restriction that would stand in the way of your relationship to and fellowship with Him. Use you master key, I promise, it works! And Jesus walked in the Temple, in Solomon s Porch. John 10:23 Solomon s Porch was located on the eastern side of the temple s outer court. This porch was the place where the religious leaders would interpret the laws of Judaism and the King would make judgments and exercise justice. The sick, primarily leprosy and other skin diseases, were ruled ceremonial unclean to enter the temple and those who were under arrest or accused of a crime, were tried for all to see in this open venue. It was known as the place for judgment, condemnation, and open shame. Those who were ruled ceremonial unclean could not participate in temple rites, for fear of defiling God s house, until the priest deemed them clean according to Mosaic Law. Oftentimes, the one considered unclean and his or her family, in the case of leprosy, were barred from the temple. Once leaving the temple grounds, the unclean person must announce unclean, unclean to everyone they passed. Those convicted of crimes either paid their fines, were led away to execution or served out their sentences. Do you think it was difficult for a Jew or Gentile, who had been convicted but not sentenced to die, who served restitution for his crime, when he returned to the temple, did so with great apprehension? Would the shame of his judgment bring back painful memories, cause him to hesitate, or keep him from returning? Would he be welcomed or shunned? Would his accuser(s) become a roadblock to his return? Would he break free of his past or be broken by his past? Jesus loved to hang out at Solomon s Porch. He could have easily walked right by the Porch through the Court of the Gentiles, beyond the Court

10 of the Women, into the Court of the Israelites to share the Scriptures but He intentionally remained on Solomon s Porch. Do you think Jesus felt compassion for those who were being tried, judged, condemned, or ruled unclean? Was He there to show grace in the midst of shame? Was He there to encourage those who wanted to go in but felt unworthy because of their past? Did He ponder the words He would later inspire John to write, For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved? (John 3:17) Jesus made a point to mingle on the Porch because glorifying the Father was what Jesus wanted to do. As a matter of fact, He wanted everyone, Jew and Gentile, male and female, ceremonial pure and impure, sinner and saint, to be free to do likewise. Is a sinful past keeping you from experiencing the abundant life of Christ? Do you still feel a sense of uncleanliness from past sins? Has the accuser of the brethren made you feel unworthy to approach the Lord? It is not necessary for you to pay for your past, to serve restitution for your sins, because Jesus did that for you on the cross. Would you accept His forgiveness so you can walk in freedom? Would you run boldly to His throne? Maybe you are walking in God s abundance but do you know someone who is hesitant to return because of a painful past? Would you pray for them and encourage them to run to Jesus? Let them know that There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) There is no need to remain on the porch when there is plenty of room inside! Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, Luke 19:45 The entire temple complex was considered holy, but it became increasingly more holy as one entered farther in. Beyond Solomon s Porch was the Outer Court or the Court of the Gentiles. All Gentiles could enter into this court but this was as far as they could go. They were forbidden to go any further. They were excluded from entering into any of the inner courts. Warning signs were posted in Greek and Latin giving notice that the penalty

11 for trespassing was death. The Roman government permitted the Jewish authorities to carry out the execution of any Gentile who violated this law. The creation and designation of the Court of the Gentiles was a miracle. The Jews permitted the Gentiles, known as God-fearers, to have a place in their most sacred building. Gentiles, who acknowledged and worshiped the God of the Jews, were allowed to come and practice their belief in this court. To the Gentiles, God was as real to them in their court as He was in the rest of the inner temple. However, it was easy to see the resentment the Gentiles felt as they considered how they were viewed as unacceptable in the eyes of the Jews. The Jews, who considered the people and practices of the Gentiles to be unacceptable, worshiped God in prideful futility. Therefore, God considered their worship to be unacceptable. One of the practices of temple life was the offering of sacrifices for the restitution of sins. For decades, prior to the reign of King Herod, four markets were located around the Mount of Olives, where birds and other animals were sold to become a sacrifice during the feasts. As pilgrims journeyed to the temple, they would stop at one of these markets to purchase an animal sacrifice to take to the temple for the forgiveness of their sins. Around 30 A.D., Caiaphas, the High Priest, permitted the merchants of these markets to move their markets into the Court of the Gentiles. The Court of the Gentiles became a marketplace. The High Priest s decision created a greater stumbling block between Jews and Gentiles. Not only were the Gentiles considered an unacceptable people to the Jews, the Gentiles felt this unacceptance as they were now inhibited in their ability to worship the God of the Jews. A place of prayer and worship for the Gentiles had become desecrated. When Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem during Passover Week, He entered the Court of the Gentiles. This was the part of the temple that He cleansed. Jesus turned over the tables and drove out the merchants and the consumers who had made God s House of Prayer a den of thieves. Racketeering in the temple was unacceptable to God. The inability of Gentiles to worship the Father could not be overlooked. In this action, Jesus made it perfectly clear that even the least of these were created to have access to Almighty God through prayer and devotion. Are you guilty of finding people unacceptable to God? Do you make people feel they are not welcomed in His house of worship? Do you look at people who are different than you with disdain? Do you accept all people or do you wish certain people would not attend worship because they do not dress or act appropriately? Do you make it difficult for the least of these to

12 approach God? If you consider certain people or their actions unacceptable to God, then please know that God finds your attitude and actions unacceptable to Him. Just as Jesus cleansed the temple of unholy practices, He wants to cleanse His people from their sins. If you answered yes to any of the above questions, will you confess your sin and allow Jesus to cleanse you so you never think less of others as long as you live. The only worship that the Father can and will receive is the worship that comes from a pure heart. And a certain man lame from his mother s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple. Acts 3:2 Moving from the Court of the Gentiles, Jews would pass through a sixty foot wide gate called Beautiful and enter into a large court called the Court of the Women. During the time of morning and evening sacrifices, this great entrance was the place of public worship for the Jews. It was called the Court of Women not because there were only Jewish women there but because Jewish women could not go beyond it. Inside this court was stationed eleven treasure chests for the voluntary offerings of money. It is in this court where Jesus was sitting when He saw a widow put into one of the treasuries her only two mites. (Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-2) It was at this wide entrance that a lame man, recorded in Acts 3, was placed every day. Beggars always positioned themselves in the most advantageous places to receive a handout. This man knew the Jews would be bringing their offerings to the Lord so what better way to cash in on some loot. Not only was the handout to benefit the beggar, it would also profit his family or friends who brought him. Was there an ulterior motive? Maybe! Who, whose pockets were filled with coins, could resist helping someone in need? While the lame man begged, in walked Peter and John to this man s request for a handout. Peter told the man he did not have any silver or gold much less a coin. I suppose, like many of us today, it was easier for Peter to carry his Jewish Express Card than a pocket full of change. Peter told this man

13 that what he did have, the authority to heal the sick, he would gladly give him, and he did. The lame man, who came for alms, received the ability to walk for the first time. Jews gathered in the Court of the Women for two reasons: to get or to give. The lame man came to get and the widow came to give. The lame man came to receive a blessing while the widow came to be a blessing. Who receives the greater blessing, the one who wants a blessing or the one who blesses? The lame man received a healing he never expected because of Peter s boldness but the widow caused Jesus to look and notice. Jesus bragged on her to His disciples. The lame man praised Jesus for what he received while Jesus praised the widow for what she sacrificed. Why do you worship, work, and witness? Is it to get or to give? Are you always anticipating what you will get or do you look for an opportunity to give? Are you consumed with wanting a blessing or would you rather be a blessing? You are either spiritually lame because you focus on what you may get from God or spiritually maturing because you focus on what you can give for the glory of God. If God can heal the lame man from his physical limitations, He can set you free from your spiritual limitations. It is a joy to praise Jesus for His blessings but it is a greater joy to know Jesus rejoices in your willingness to be a blessing. Today, would you look for an opportunity to be a blessing? So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law. Luke 2:27 Continuing on from the Court of the Women, was a magnificent circular fifteen step staircase leading to an entrance called the Nicanor Gate. Through the gate was a narrow hall filled with beautiful columns called the Court of the Israelites. Jewish laymen gathered in the Court of the Israelites for fellowship but primarily to bring and present their various offerings to the priests, on behalf of themselves and their family, for gratefulness and forgiveness. Also, the entrance was the place where Jewish women came

14 on the eighth day after giving birth to a male child for purification rites. The male babies were brought for their naming ceremony and for circumcision according to the Law. (Leviticus 12) On the eighth day after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary brought Him to the temple to present Him to the Lord. Mary carried Him to the entrance of the Court of the Israelites. It was here that they called Him Jesus, the name given to Him by the angel. Joseph would later enter the Court of the Israelites carrying a pair of turtledoves and two pigeons to present to the priest as a sacrifice for their gratefulness to God and for the cleansing of their sin. It was in this court where Jesus was circumcised. The male child was given to the priest for their official naming and circumcision. However, Simeon, a just and devout Jew, who was led by the Spirit to come to the temple at this very moment to see his Messiah, took Jesus in his arms and blessed Him. The first person commanded to be circumcised was Abraham at the age of ninety-nine. (Genesis 17:7) God told Abraham by doing so, He would establish an everlasting covenant with Abraham and with every future heir who obeyed this command. The covenant demonstrated God s unconditional love for His people. Nothing or no one would ever keep God from loving His people. It was in the Court of the Israelites where the covenant, a reminder of God s promise, was continually expressed. Jesus, who was circumcised in this court to reaffirm God s Covenant with Israel would one day be crucified on a cross to establish a new covenant with all people, Jew and Gentile, who would believe and receive Him as Lord and Savior. (Hebrews 9:15) This new covenant, established between Christ and the redeemed, is an everlasting covenant based on God s unconditional love. (Hebrews 13:20) Do you know that nothing or no one will ever separate us from God s love? (Romans 8:35) We, the redeemed, are eternally secure in Him because of His covenant promise to us, which means, you will never lose your salvation! We did absolutely nothing to earn it, we don t deserve it, and we can do nothing to lose it or keep it. The covenant is a 100% work of God and a 0% work of man. Have you taken God s covenant relationship with you for granted? You have if, at some point, you think God does not love you. To doubt the love of God not only shows your lack of understanding for His covenant but also for His character. He loves you for you, not for what you do! You cannot live abundantly in Christ if you doubt His love for you. If you have taken His covenant relationship for granted, would you ask God to forgive you right

15 now? Please live today knowing you are loved by God because of who you are in Him, not because of what you do or do not do for Him! The most profound truth in scripture is: Jesus Loves Me! If you know it, then show it! Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare your people, O LORD, and give not to your heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: why should they say among the people, Where is their God? Joel 2:17 Two steps up from the Court of Israel was the inner most court called the Court of the Priests. A small eighteen-inch curtain separated these two courts. Inside the Court of the Priests were three steps leading up to a pulpit. The priests occupied the pulpit while pronouncing a blessing. Twenty-three senior priests oversaw the daily operation of the temple, including the sacrifices and offerings. Before the break of the day, the priests on duty were ready and they assembled to cast lots to decide the assignment of the various daily tasks. It started with filling the lavers and preparing the altar. At about 9:00 a.m., they opened the gates and blew the silver trumpets to announce the commencement of the morning service. The service included slaying the sacrificial lamb, salting the sacrifice, trimming the lampstand, burning the incense, presenting the burnt offering and drink offering, blessing the people and blasting the silver trumpets. This was followed by the Psalm of the day, presented by the singers, accompanied by instrumental music. Immediately after the morning service, the Israelites might bring in their private sacrifices and offerings. It would occasionally continue till near the time for the evening sacrifice, which was about 2:30 p.m. The evening service was similar to the morning service. It ended at about 4:00 p.m. At night, the priests kept watch about the innermost places of the Temple, including the inner court and the Temple itself. They also opened and closed all the inner gates.

16 While the priests ministered in the Court of the Israelites, they wore a common priestly garment but when they ministered unto the Lord in the inner court, they removed their common garment and put on a holy garment, sanctified to the Lord. (Ezekiel 44:16-31) It was in the inner court where the priests presented the offerings to God they received from the laymen at the gate in the Court of the Israelites. Priests were God s ministers who spoke to God on behalf of the people. Prophets were God s ministers who spoke to the people on behalf of God. The priests delivered the people s offerings and sacrifices to God. The prophets delivered God s message to His people. The prophet Joel brought a message of warning to the priests to stand in the gap between God s children and the LORD. It was imperative for the priests to live exemplary holy lives before God s children. While they performed their daily duties in the temple, Joel cautioned them to be mindful of Israel s spiritual condition. For the priests to serve faithfully in the temple while God s people lived in disobedience was unacceptable to God. If the children of Israel worshiped in the temple regularly but lived ungodly lives in the world, a host of unbelievers would have due cause to question the effectiveness or existence of their God. Joel told the priests to weep in repentance over this very sin that was being committed by the priests and God s people. Joel urged the priests to uphold and model a standard of holiness so everyone, Jew and Gentile, would see and respond to God s glory. Is this true of the church today? Are we, the body of Christ, guilty of acting holy in church services and unholy in the world? Are we, as spiritual leaders, so mindful of what we do in the church building that we fail to see how we are representing Christ in the world? Do our actions in the world cause the people who know we are Christians to question the effectiveness and existence of God? Does all our time spent in worship and Bible study cancel out once we step back into the world? In your realm of influence, are you consistently the same whether you be in church, at home, working, at school, on social media, or attending social events? Do you maintain a standard of holiness wherever you may be at any given moment? Do you represent God s glory at all times and in all places so no one would ever question the effectiveness or existence of God in your life? Would someone be turned off by your unholy actions, what you say or how you act, that they say, That s why I want nothing to do with God or the church! If you have been inconsistent in your walk, would you heed the prophet Joel s warning, repent of your sin, and turn back to God? Would you do so because, if you are a follower of Christ, you are a royal priest in the midst of all people. (1 Peter 2:5, 9) By your actions today, will you point others to God and glorify Him in the process?

17 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. Luke 1:8-9 Next to the Court of the Priests was a porch that led to the temple proper consisting of the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. Into the Holy Place, the priests entered to perform various duties, in particular, to offer incense on the golden-incense altar, as Zechariah did on the occasion when an angel appeared to him and announced the forth coming birth of his son, John the Baptist (Luke 1:8-23). The only two pieces of furniture in the porch were the two tables, one of gold and the other of marble, on which the showbread was placed. This entrance was covered by a veil. In the Holy Place stood the Golden Altar, the Golden Table for the showbread, on which were two frankincense cups and the Golden Lampstand. God commanded the priests to burn incense on the golden altar every morning and evening, the same time that the daily burnt offerings were made. The incense was to be left burning continually throughout the day and night as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. (Exodus 30:34-38) The incense was a symbol of the prayers and intercession of the people going up to God as a sweet fragrance. God wanted His dwelling to be a place where people could approach Him and pray to Him. (Isaiah 56:7) The golden altar, furthermore, is a representation of Christ, who is our intercessor before God the Father. During His days on earth, Jesus prayed for the believers. He was like the high priest of the temple, who bore the names of each of the Israelite tribes on his breastplate before God. Just before He was betrayed and sentenced to death, Jesus interceded for His disciples and all believers, asking God to guard them from evil and sanctify them by His Word, and that they may see God s glory and be a witness to the world (John 17:1-26). Today, Jesus still is our high priest at the Father s side, interceding for us. He carries our prayers to the Father. Just as God commanded the priests to keep the incense burning, He also wants us to keep our prayers coming. This is why the apostle Paul said, pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Our prayers are a sweet aroma that permeates the throne of God.

18 Do you pray without ceasing? Do you remain in a spirit of prayer throughout the day? If you were God s only child, would Jesus receive any word from you on a daily basis to make intercession to the Father? Would your prayers permeate the throne with a sweet aroma? Are you carrying the burdens and requests of others to the Lord? Can others count on you to make intercession for them before the throne? The lack of communication is the weak link to any relationship. If you wait to pray until you are in trouble, then friend, you are in trouble! The purpose of this prayer guide is to assist you, through fasting, to cleanse your mind and purify your heart, so you can make proper intercession to the Lord. Like a weak or dropped WI-FI signal that prevents an or text from transmission, your life possessed by unconfessed sin, can keep your prayers from reaching God s throne. Has God revealed any sin you are hesitant to confess? Would you confess it right now so your prayers will not be hindered from reaching God s throne? Keep the incense burning! There shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself, for his household, and for the assembly of Israel. Leviticus 16:17 The Holy of Holies was the innermost chamber in the temple, a room so sacred only one person could enter it, and then only one day out of the entire year. This room was a perfect cube, 15 feet in each direction. Only one object was housed there: the ark of the covenant. There was no light inside the chamber other than the glow from God s glory. A thick, embroidered veil separated the holy place from the Holy of Holies inside the temple proper. Regular priests were allowed in the outer holy place, but the Holy of Holies could be entered only by the high priest on the annual Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur.

19 On that day, the high priest would bathe, then put on the clean linen garments of the priest. His robe had solid gold bells hanging from the hem. The noise of the bells told the people he was making atonement for their sins. A rope was tied around the high priest so if he died in the inner sanctuary, because of unconfessed sin in his life, the priests could pull him out. If the priests went in after him, they would all die because only one man, the high priest, could enter. The high priest entered the inner sanctuary with a censer of burning incense, which would produce thick smoke, hiding the mercy seat on the ark where God was. Anyone who saw God would die instantly. The high priest brought the blood of a sacrificed bull and two goats into the inner sanctuary. He sprinkled the blood of a sacrificed bull on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant as a sin offering for himself and his family. Next, he sacrificed one of the goats and poured its blood on the mercy seat of the ark as a sin offering for the Israelites. The other goat was used as a scapegoat. The high priest placed his hands on its head, confessed over it the rebellion and wickedness of the Israelites, and sent the goat out with an appointed man who released it into the wilderness. The goat carried on itself all the sins of the people, which were forgiven for another year. (Leviticus 16:1-34) When the high priest emerged from the Holy of Holies, the priests, and the Jews knew their sins had been forgiven for another year. They were reconciled back to God because the sins they committed were remembered no more. However, it was necessary for the high priest to atone for man s sins yearly because the blood of bulls and goats administered by an imperfect man could only atone for sins if the ritual was performed year after year. When Jesus, who was the perfect High Priest, the Sacrificial Lamb, and the Scapegoat, shed His blood on Calvary, his death was sufficient for the forgiveness of all the sins of everyone who would believe in Him. When His sacrifice was made, He declared, It is finished. (John 19:30) He then sat down at the right hand of the Father and no further sacrifice for sin was ever needed. (Hebrews 10:1-2) Have you been forgiven of your sins? Absolutely, if you placed your faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior! If Jesus has not forgiven you of your sin, would you commit your life to Him right now and receive His salvation through the forgiveness of your sin? If you receive His forgiveness, it means He has forgiven you of the penalty of sin. You will never experience eternal death in hell. Jesus will never remember or recall your old sinful life for as long as He

20 lives! Not only has Jesus forgiven you of the penalty of sin, He has provided forgiveness from the power of sin on earth and the presence of sin when you enter heaven s eternal rest. This is the gospel: Jesus forgives sin! A profound truth in scripture is: Jesus forgave us of our sins so we can forgive others who sin against us. One of the ways you know you have received eternal life and are walking in fellowship with Christ is by your willingness to forgive others. Jesus said, If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 5:14-15) Is there someone who has sinned against you, a loved one, or a friend whom you have not nor will not forgive? Do you realize your unwillingness to forgive is hurting you more than them? It is robbing you of God s forgiveness, God s faithfulness, and God s friendship. God will not answer your prayers if you harbor an unforgiving spirit. (Psalm 66:18) Forgiveness does not mean you condone the sin. On the cross, Jesus showed how much He hated sin while at the same time, He showed how much He loved the sinner. Will you confess your unforgiving spirit and set the captive free? (Oh, by the way: You are the one held captive!) Do not miss the opportunity to worship and serve the living God freely because you are unwilling to forgive others as you have been forgiven by God. Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. Leviticus 16:15 Within the veil of the Holy of Holies sat one piece of furniture, the Ark of the Covenant. The ark represented the presence and the power of Jehovah God. The ark emitted God s glory. Inside the ark was the golden pot filled with manna from the wilderness, Aaron s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. Above the ark were cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. The mercy seat was the golden top that covered the ark. When the high priest entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he carried a golden censer of incense to cover the mercy seat with smoke so

21 he, who was sin, would not see God s glory, Who was not sin, and die. The high priest sprinkled the blood of a bull and a goat on the mercy seat for the atonement of sin. In this holy act, we see both the mercy and grace of God on display. Mercy is a Holy God withholding what sinful man rightfully deserves: eternal separation from Him in a devil s hell. Grace is a Holy God giving sinful man what he does not rightfully deserve: the forgiveness of sin and the right to experience and enjoy a relationship with Him in His eternal kingdom. God, in His holiness, cannot give one without the other. When the high priest sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat, God withheld what the high priest, his family, and Israel rightfully deserved: death in hell. When God accepted his sacrifice and let him, his family, and Israel live another year, God gave them what they did not deserve: an opportunity to know and love Him. Through the death of Christ, God made it possible for us to enter into the Holy of Holies without dying (mercy) and receive forgiveness (grace) for our sin. How? Christ s death appeased the wrath of God (mercy) and atoned for our sin (grace). The apostle Paul said in Ephesians 2:4-8, But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Jesus is rich in mercy and grace! He has an endless supply. Have you experienced God s mercy and grace? You have if you committed your life to His lordship. If you have not experienced His mercy and grace, He, through an endless supply, wants to lavish both upon you. Will you allow Him to do what He died to do? Salvation is not sinless perfection on earth. No, sinless perfection occurs once we enter heaven. As believers, although we should and can resist sin, in weak moments will yield to the power of sin. When we sin, God demonstrates His rich mercy: He does not kill us, and He demonstrates His rich grace: our salvation is secure. It is easy to take God s mercy and grace for granted. We take both for granted when we do not seek God s forgiveness, when we sin, in the midst of our relationship with Him. God, in His mercy, will allow us to wander but in His grace, He will convict us to repent of our sin and return to fellowship with Him. Are you wandering? Jesus says, Here, have mercy! Are you convicted? Jesus says, Here, have grace!

22 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks split. Matthew 27:51 Before the second temple was destroyed, a new temple was established. When Jesus died on Calvary, the veil in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. God the Father personally ripped the veil from heaven to earth. The torn veil, that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place, the various courts, and Solomon s Porch, changed the perspective of the temple in several ways. In the next three devotions, we will examine the changes. The first change was the temple was no longer a place, it was now a person. The temple was no longer a building but a believer. It was no longer necessary to go to the temple because the believer was the temple. The apostle Paul said, Or do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16) God s two greatest creations, the temple and humanity, were created to become the dwelling places of God. God took up residence in the temple building once it was dedicated and moved His residence into the believer once salvation s plan was completed. The believer became the permanent dwelling place of God. The purpose of both, the building and believer, was and is to be a reflection of God s glory. The goal was and is not for people to be enamored with the creation but the Creator. Everyone in Jerusalem and Judea, Jew and Gentile, knew the temple was the dwelling place of God. Its unique look set it apart from all other structures. The actions manifested in the temple were not duplicated in any other place. Likewise, as believers, in whom God dwells, we should live in such a manner that it is obvious to everyone that we belong to God. The way we act sets us apart from the world. Our actions in the spirit cannot be duplicated by the world s works in the flesh. Just as God dictated what would and would not happen in the temple building, God dictates what should and should not happen in the life of His child because we are no longer our own. We have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus. The apostle Paul made this perfectly clear when he said, Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19)

23 Just as the priests were charged with the upkeep of the temple building, we are charged to take care of our bodies. The priests removed anything or anyone who would defile the house of God. God has charged us to keep our bodies free from corruptible things. How you take care of your temple reflects not only what you think of yourself but how much you value God. To abuse your body, as a believer, is to mock the One who created and redeemed you. (1 Corinthians 10:31) Are you doing anything with your body that would impede your ability to serve and reflect God s glory? During your time of fasting, has the Lord revealed anything that must be removed from your life? Is there anything that keeps you from being the very best servant for God? Would you let go of it and let God remove it? I promise, you will not miss it! You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:5, 9 The second change to occur from the torn veil was there were no more restrictions as to who could come in and where you could go. In the first two temples, the Jews had the most privileges as to who could enter and the priests had greater access to the various courts. The religious leaders stood on the porch to keep the sick and the sinners from entering the temple. Signs were posted at the entrance to the Court of the Women warning Gentiles to stay out. The torn veil changed these rules drastically and permanently. The leaders warned certain folks to stay out while Jesus encouraged everyone to come in. Jesus said, Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28) The religious leaders told the Gentiles if they came in they would die but Jesus said if we did not come in we would die! One of the great and fundamental truths of our faith in Christ is the Priesthood of the Believer. As a result of Christ s atoning death, the believer

24 no longer needs a human agent to approach God for them. It is no longer necessary for a priest to offer up your prayers to God. As a born-again child of God, you can do it! You do not need a priest to interpret the Scripture for you, you can study for yourself! You do not need a priest to present your offering to the Lord, you can do it! You do not need a priest to ask God for the forgiveness of your sin, you can do it! There is no need for a priest to do for you what our Lord has given you the authority and permission to do for yourself. Everyone who believes in Him has direct access to the throne of God. You are a priest of the Most High God. Through the torn veil, Jesus has given you, His child, direct access to His throne. There are no restrictions or warnings. In the same manner, the torn veil should give Jesus direct access to any and every area of your life. Is there any area in your life where you have placed a warning sign for Jesus to keep out? Is Jesus free to roam into any room? Is He in total control? Does Jesus have complete access to your thought life? Does Jesus have the authority to send and use you wherever He chooses to do so? Does Jesus have total control of your finances? If your body is the temple of the living God then He should and must have the freedom to rule, roam, and reign over your life. This is what it means for Jesus to be Lord, He is in charge. Does Jesus have complete access to your life right now? If the answer is yes then rejoice in your obedience. If the answer is no, then confess this to the Father and commit every part of your life to the Lord s control. Take down your Off Limits signs - the Father s have been down for almost 2000 years! Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 The torn veil did not let God out of the Holy of Holies, it allowed all, Jews and Gentiles, who were willing, to enter in. God was not freed to come to us, we were freed to come to Him. The high priest was no longer the only one who could enter into the glorious presence of God. As chosen priests of God, all who believe can come in with boldness and assurance to Christ s invitation. Anyone who desires to come in will in no way be denied entrance.

25 The ability of the believer to enter in is a beautiful and accurate picture of salvation. When a person understands the gospel, surrenders his life to Christ, and submits to His Lordship, at that very moment, he enters into the Holy of Holies to dwell with Christ forevermore. The initial act of salvation is more about us coming into Christ than it is Jesus Christ coming into us. The doctrinal term is called Justification. The apostle Paul consistently used a phrase to describe our relationship to Jesus. Paul said often, we are in Christ. (Romans 6:23, 8:1, 8:2, 8:39, 12:5, 16:7, 16:9) We are eternally secure in Christ; therefore, He will never cast us out once we are in Him. Paul also used another phrase to describe our spiritual growth in Christ. In Colossians 1:27, Paul said the goal of the Christian life is Christ in you, the hope of glory. The doctrinal term is called Sanctification. Sanctification or Christ in you is the process of the believer becoming more like Jesus and less like himself on a daily basis. John the Baptist said, He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30) Our daily goal is to look, think, and act more like Jesus and less like ourselves. This is spiritual maturity. The final act of our salvation is completed when Jesus calls us home. The doctrinal term is called Glorification. During our Christian life on earth, we should look and act like Jesus to the point that when He calls us home, it will only take a little tweaking on His part to make us completely like Him. The sad truth for many Christians when they die is, because of their lack of spiritual maturity, it will require on God s part, a major overhaul to make them look completely like Jesus. Are you looking, thinking, and acting more like Jesus or yourself? The torn veil is also a beautiful picture of worship. In worship, we do not invite God to come into our presence, because God already invited us into His. We simply acknowledge where we are. To think you must invite Jesus into your presence exposes your lack of understanding regarding the nature of God. Since God is everywhere at all times, it is not necessary to invite Him in because He is already there in your midst. True worship begins with the acknowledgement that God is present. Also, true worship occurs when God is given His rightful place to control what happens. God moves, not because He shows up, He moves because He is given complete control to do what He wishes. In worship today, will you acknowledge Jesus is present and will you give Him His rightful place? Have you entered into the Holy of Holies? If you have not, what are you waiting on? Jesus has invited you to come on in! Once you enter, you cannot leave. As a matter of fact, you will not want to leave (even if you could) when you experience the Christian life in the Holy of Holies. There is no place you would rather be than in the Holy of Holies with Jesus. I promise!

26 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1 Most people have a favorite room in their home whether it be a bedroom, living room, den, kitchen, or workroom. It is the room a person enjoys more than any other room in the house. It may be a place to be alone or to enjoy with family and friends. God has a favorite room. His room is not a place where He prefers to be alone. It is a room He loves to share with the believer. God s favorite room for He and the believer is the Holy of Holies. In Jerusalem s temple, Solomon s Porch, the Court of the Gentiles, the Court of the Women, the Court of Israel, and the Court of the Priests became obsolete because the old covenant written on stone was replaced with a new covenant written on the hearts of men. The believer is no longer bound by the law enforced by the restrictions and divisions in the earthly temple. The apostle Paul said, There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28) Since believers are now one in Christ, our Lord no longer looks at us according to our nationality or gender. He sees us as one priestly nation. Since we are now priests, there is only one place suitable for us - the Holy of Holies. The inner sanctuary should be our favorite room! When Christ takes up residence with us, it is for the sole purpose of communion and fellowship. God is not into rituals, He is into relationships. The porch and the courts were all about rituals while the inner sanctuary is a place of relationship. Jesus has no intention of gathering with us on the porch because we are no longer condemned. He does not consider us to be unclean or sinners, we are His saints. He does not invite us into the courts because there is nothing we can do to earn His favor or His love. We cannot give God anything that is more precious to Him than our lives. There is no act of obedience that will cause God to love us more and there is no act of disobedience that will cause God to love us any less. God wants to lavish us with His unconditional love and the only place suitable for doing such is in the Holy of Holies. Therefore, when God calls us His temple wherein He dwells, He sees us as His inner sanctuary.

27 Every day, we must make a conscious decision to experience God in the Holy of Holies because any place less will leave us feeling unfulfilled. The psalmist made this truth clear when he said whoever dwells or remains in the secret place, the inner sanctuary, will abide with the Almighty. The inner sanctuary is the only place where we can abide in Him. Jesus stressed the importance of abiding when He said, Abide in Me, and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (John 15:4, 7). To abide means to live with someone in total agreement. Abiding in Christ is to live in the center of His will. Abiding in Christ is the only place to be blessed by Christ. The psalmist said we abide under the shadow of the Almighty which means, abiding in Christ in the inner sanctuary is the only place where we are protected by Christ. To be in the Holy of Holies is to be under the umbrella of God s protection. The adversary, the devil, cannot touch us, inflict us, discourage us, or defeat us when we are under the Lord s protection in the Holy of Holies. Our enemy is not permitted to enter into the Holy of Holies. It is reserved for God and His children. Where are you right now? Do you see yourself in the inner sanctuary with Christ? Is the Holy of Holies your favorite room? Are you making a conscious decision to experience God in the Holy of Holies? Any place other than the inner sanctuary will leave you feeling unfulfilled and unprotected. If you have lost sight of this profound truth, will you repent and return, in your spirit, to your rightful and only place where God has chosen to commune and fellowship with you - the Holy of Holies. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit. 1 John 4:13 The greatest blessing or benefit of knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior is to know I will never be separated from His love. As a child of God, I am eternally secure in Him. On this earth, if I never receive another blessing from God, I still have more than I deserve. However, being in Christ and choosing daily

28 to live with my Lord in the Holy of Holies comes with several benefits. When Jesus redeemed you, He gave you His Holy Spirit to confirm for you His benefits. Since they are too many to name, let me share just a few. One of the benefits of being in Christ is you have a conscious awareness that God is with you at all times. Jesus said He would never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) There is no where you will ever go that God is not there with you. You will never be alone. The high priest would come and go from the presence of the Lord in the Holy of Holies but when Christ finished His work on Calvary, we, God s new priests, can come and stay forever. Knowing Jesus is with me helps me to know He sees and knows everything I think, say, and do. Because He is with me, I do not want to disobey. His continual presence changes the way I think and act. A second benefit of being in Christ is knowing who is in charge. To be found in the Holy of Holies requires the believer s full submission to Christ. Jesus is in total control. It is in the Holy of Holies where the believer becomes a follower of Christ. He dies daily to self so he can follow God s will. (1 Corinthians 15:3) A follower of Christ is not only in the center of God s will, he is submissive to God s will. A third benefit of being in Christ is the ability to serve God with the anointing of the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 1:21) The anointing of the Spirit is only granted to those who are submissive to God s will in the Holy of Holies. The anointing is the power of God that fills and allows the follower to accomplish God s will for God s glory. The anointing is never given to a believer who refuses to submit to God s will. To live the Christian life without God s anointing is exhausting, discouraging, and defeating. It is like pushing your vehicle everywhere you go rather than driving it. A Christian cannot operate without God s anointed power. The most miserable person on the face of the earth is not a lost person but a believer who lives life without God s anointing! A fourth benefit of being in Christ is to walk in God s authority. When Jesus completed salvation s plan, He passed along to His followers the authority that was given to Him by the Father. (Matthew 28:18) The only way a believer can rise above this world and live victoriously over the devil s schemes is to be found in Christ. A believer will never overcome the devil s accusations, temptations, and deceptions unless he operates in the authority of God. The authority of God always trumps the devil s power. The key to exercising the authority of God is to understand what it means to be in Christ. Jesus has authorized you to be victorious. You, child of God, can and will only live victoriously within God s authority when you acknowledge your place with Christ in the Holy of Holies.

29 Are you enjoying the benefits of living with Christ in the Holy of Holies? Are you aware of His presence at all times? Is Christ in total control of your life? Are you submissive to His will? Are you walking daily in the anointing of God? Are you exercising your authority over the enemy? If not, why not? If you are a child of God, these benefits are available to you. Would you acknowledge your place in the Holy of Holies and begin to enjoy the benefits our Lord has graciously provided? But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. Romans 7:6 From Solomon s Porch to the Court of the Priests, those who entered the temple grounds were considered recipients of God s mercy and grace. In the temple proper (the Holy Place and Holy of Holies), the priests were considered servants of God s mercy and grace. When we, as followers of Christ, understand our position in Christ, in the Holy of Holies, we know we are not attendees or members in God s kingdom, we are servants of the Most High God. The New Testament describes three types of servants: a hired servant, a household servant, and a head servant. The hired servant is described in Luke 15, when the prodigal son returned home and told his dad to make him a hired servant. A hired servant was hired off the street by the household servant for a day s wage with no guarantee of an opportunity to work again. A hired servant worked around the master s estate but never met the master. The household servant was hired by the head servant to work indefinitely within the household for the master s family. He knew of the master but he was never personally introduced. (Luke 12:35-47) The head servant was the chief servant, chosen by the master to work directly for the master. The head servant or bond servant, served his master. The head servant handled the personal business of his master as it related to the household, the estate, and to the master s relationship in the city and country. The master and his head servant were personal companions.

30 The bond servant enjoyed a freedom that permitted him to leave but he chose to remain with his master. The apostle Paul referred to himself as a bondservant of Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:1, Philippians 1:1) As followers of Jesus, although free, we choose to remain with our master in the Holy of Holies, because we are head servants. We have become personal companions of the Lord Jesus Christ. The main goal of a head servant is to exalt his master and edify the household. (Ephesians 4:16) Being a head servant, you must understand several truths that apply to this position and privilege to be in Christ. First, a head servant or follower of Christ knows he never goes to work, he is always at work. He remains with his master in the home. Serving the Lord is twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. There is never a moment in time when you are not a servant of Christ. Your willingness to serve is proof you are dwelling in the Holy of Holies. Second, work done at church (in the church building) is not the only work done for the Lord. As a matter of fact, more work is required in the field than in the building. Third, a head servant or follower of Christ s work place is his mission field. (1 Corinthians 3:9) A follower of Christ understands his master placed him in his position at his work not only to make a living but to make Him known. A head servant strives to represent his master well in the workplace. Fourth, a follower of Christ whose work is built on Jesus will last. He will receive a reward. (1 Corinthians 3:10-14) The only believer who will hear Well done and receive a reward is the head servant who followed Christ by exalting his master and edifying his household. Hired and household servants will only receive earthly gratification and the praise of men because they never desired to experience God personally in the Holy of Holies. The most frightening words a hired or household servant could possibly hear is I do not know you, where you are from, depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity! (Luke 13:27) As one who professes faith in Christ, are you content and comfortable with being an attendee or member of the local church? If so, have you been convicted by God s Spirit to surrender your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Maybe once again after reading this devotion, God s Spirit is convicting you to commit your life to Him by entering into the Holy of Holies with Christ. Would you surrender to Him right now and allow Jesus to save you? If you consider yourself to be more than an attendee or member, then what kind of servant are you: a hired, household, or head servant? If you feel like a hired or household servant, what has happened in your life to make you feel this way? If you have settled for being a hired or household servant, then you are living way beneath your privilege and purpose as a child of God. You have chosen not to experience Christ in His dwelling place. You will never please the Father until you see yourself, in

31 mind and spirit, seated with Him in the Holy of Holies. Jesus redeemed you to experience Him personally and intimately and this can only happen in one place and one place only the Holy of Holies. Do you hear that sound? It is the voice of your master calling you this morning to come and join Him in service. Will you serve Him today? He has personally selected some people who desperately need Him for you to minister to today. If you obey, your service will exalt your master and strengthen the household of faith. Go serve! You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:5, 9 In the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, when the High Priest presented the sacrifice, he did not atone for the sins of the people. God did! The responsibility of the High Priest was simply to obey God and offer the sacrifice. When you experience the Christian life from the perspective of the Holy of Holies, your responsibility is to obey. As a high priest, our responsibility is to present ourselves daily as a living sacrifice unto God. Like Isaiah, we say, Here I am, send me! (Isaiah 6:8) How do we obey? We obey by proclaiming the praises of Him who called us out of darkness. As high priests, we are His witnesses to the world. As we go, we are to share with an unbelieving world what the Lord has done for us. (Matthew 28:18-20) We share the good news and the Lord is the one who atones for their sins. He is the one who redeems them and gives them eternal life. The evidence that you know you are seated with Christ in the Holy of Holies is by your willingness and effectiveness to share the gospel with unbelievers. It is supernaturally natural to witness for Jesus when you dwell with Him. As high priests, charged with the task of proclaiming His praises, we must understand several important truths. First, as witnesses, who dwell with

32 Christ in the Holy of Holies, our lives are always on display. Just as it was obvious from the High Priest s clothes that he was a servant of God, people should and will know you belong to Christ, not by what you wear as much as how you act. An unbelieving world can tell the difference. Second, when you dwell with Christ, as a witness, you have the spiritual insight to recognize and discern where an unbeliever is in their spiritual journey. Have they reached Solomon s Porch, the Court of the Gentiles, the Court of the Women, the Court of Israel, or the Court of the Priests? The goal of a witness is to meet and discern where a person is so they can ultimately be ushered, by the Holy Spirit, into the presence of Almighty God in the inner sanctuary, and there, experience His atoning grace. Third, the ability to witness, with a supernatural anointing, in such a manner as to be pleasing unto the Lord can only be accomplished from the Holy of Holies. You can witness, do what is right, but do it the wrong way. You will know what to do and when to do it. If the soil of an unbeliever s heart needs cultivating, that is what you will do. If a life is ready to receive the seed of God s Word, then that is what you will do. If the seed needs water, then you will pour water on the soil. If the harvest is apparent, then you will assist the Lord in reaping. Fourth, witnessing from the perspective of the Holy of Holies allows the Christ follower s words to compliment his life, not contradict it. An unbeliever will not say No to Jesus because your words do not match your ways. The life you live in the dwelling place of the Most High God is convicting and contagious to an unbeliever who is drawn to God. Fifth, when the high priest came out of the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, the people knew he had been with Jesus. When you dwell with Christ in the Holy of Holies, an unbelieving world will know you have been with Jesus by the way you act and speak. They will sense the anointing because you speak as one who has authority. Sixth, a witness who dwells with Jesus understands the Great Commission. You know you are going into all the world every day; therefore, you are always looking for opportunities to share the good news of Jesus. Where is your dwelling place? Is it in the Holy of Holies with Jesus? If so, then you admit you are sharing the love of Jesus on a regular basis. If not, the answer is not to try harder or attend a seminar to learn how to share the gospel. The answer is to dwell with the Lord in His Holy Place. If you will return to your rightful place in Christ and obey, He will anoint and speak through you so He can apply His atoning blood to someone who desperately needs His grace. Get ready! The field is white!

33 You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Acts 7:51 Stephen, a man of faith, proclaimed to the Jews that God no longer dwelt in a temple made with hands. He dwelt in the lives of people who professed faith in Him because of the atoning work of Christ on Calvary. Through Christ s work on the cross, everyone was free to come into the temple s inner sanctuary. Did they all come? No! The majority resisted. Stephen called them stiff-necked and uncircumcised. This was an insult to their race. They were God s chosen people but they were acting more like barbarians and Gentiles who did not know God. It is hard to fathom why they would resist entering when the door stood wide open for them to come in. We may criticize them, the Jews, for not seeing what Christ did for them but are we not guilty of the same thing? Do we as believers in Jesus always, in our minds and hearts, remain in the dwelling place of the Most High? The sad truth is that many believers resist the Holy of Holies experience. Christians are content with hanging out on Solomon s Porch or in one of the preferred courts. Like Zacchaeus, we want to be in proximity of Jesus but not up close and personal with Him. Like the Jews, we want to hang out at God s house but we do not want to meet with Him personally. Why do we resist the Holy of Holies? Let me suggest several reasons why. First, we resist the Holy of Holies experience because we believe the restrictions are still in force. Many continue to impose restrictions on themselves that Christ removed. Believers are convinced they cannot fellowship with God because of their past. Their past actions are too severe for God to give them permission to come in completely. They are content with hanging out in the Court of Condemnation because they exhibit a Woe is me complex. Second, we resist because we are unwilling to deal with our present sins. It was easy for Jesus to forgive our sin of unbelief but it is too difficult or impossible for Jesus to forgive our secret, shameful sins. We resist the Holy of Holies because we do not think Jesus can or will atone for our secret, shameful sins after we have been born again. Third, we resist the Holy of Holies experience out of fear for what God

34 may command us to do for Him. If I get close to Jesus, He will send me to Africa! If I get close to Jesus, He will command me to teach seventh grade boys! If I get close to Jesus, He will command me to move outside my comfort zone! Fear of commitment causes us to resist. Fourth, we resist the Holy of Holies experience because we are unwilling to obey. We have become stiff-necked! We have resisted for so long that our hearts are extremely hardened to God s commands. We cannot feel His conviction; therefore, it is easy to resist. This is a dangerous, spiritual condition because the one who cannot feel God s conviction has been deceived into believing that God is okay with their current condition. Nothing could be farther from the truth. God wants every believer to come boldly and confidently into the inner sanctuary without resistance. Are you resisting the Holy of Holies? Have you imposed restrictions on yourself that prohibit you from entering? Are you unwilling to deal with the secret, shameful sins? Have you convinced yourself that Jesus cannot forgive you and cleanse you of all unrighteousness? (1 John 1:9) Do you live in fear of what Jesus may command you to do for Him if you did enter into the Holy of Holies? Have you become gullible to the devil s lie that you will be all alone if you obey? Jesus said He would never leave you nor forsake you. Has your heart become so hardened to God s voice that you find it easy to disobey Him? Would you repent of any or all of the above and experience the forgiving and cleansing power of Jesus? Friend, do not resist. There remains no restrictions, so enter! You will not regret it! This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:19-20 The writer of Hebrews precisely described what took place during Passover. Jesus, our Great High Priest, went behind the veil in the Holy of Holies, when He, the perfect, sacrificial Lamb, was slain and made atonement for our sins once and for all. At this very moment, God the Father ripped

35 the veil from top to bottom. Jesus, our forerunner, went before us and prepared the way for us to come in. No longer would the veil keep us from experiencing the presence and power of God. History tells us that after Passover, when the priests discovered the torn veil, they had it repaired. History does not specifically mention who made the repair, it simply suggested the repair occurred. The mended veil, sixty feet tall, thirty feet wide, and four inches thick, remained intact for forty years until the temple was destroyed by the Roman Empire in 70 AD. The priests did not have a clue as to what had happened. The timing of Jesus death and the torn veil was a mere coincidence to them. It was crucial for them to seal the curtain so their rituals could precede on to The Day of Atonement in approximately six months. It was business as usual around the temple. Religion repaired the veil. The torn veil, that created a relationship between Jehovah God and all people, was repaired so the law s restrictions could continue to keep certain people out while allowing only the appointed priests in. Jews and Gentiles continued to approach Solomon s Porch to hear religious leaders declare the sick to be defiled and unclean. They heard the governing officials pronounce judgments upon criminals, even condemning many to death. The Gentiles could only go as far as their court or they would face the consequence of death. The Jewish women could enter their designated court and place their offering in one of thirteen boxes to financially support the upkeep of the temple as well as the needs of the poor. The Jewish men could step in further and present their sacrifices to the priests while the priests were the only ones permitted in the temple proper. Religion, man s futile attempt to reach God, continued to fall short of God s glory. God, by His demonstration on the cross said, Come in and live, while religion said, Keep out or die! It was imperative for the devil to continue to deceive the religious leaders so their influence would continue to lead the lost down the road to destruction. Although Satan knew Jesus had made an opening for everyone to come in, he, through religion, kept people in utter darkness to the truth. Today, religion continues to keep people from experiencing a relationship with Jesus. Complete access to God is available to all who will believe but religion stands in the way like a big bully, discouraging people from drawing near to God s throne. A pseudo veil still remains. What does this veil look like? It appears in the form of pride and prejudice. It presents itself in the following ways: Only good moral people can come to Jesus. God cannot and will not love or redeem certain people because of their behavior or background.

36 God will not accept someone if they are not dressed or act a certain way. God only died for a certain skin color. God only redeems those He loves and sends the rest to hell. Can you see the veil? Has the religiously repaired veil kept you from a personal relationship with Jesus? Jesus tore the veil so you could come in. Stop believing the lie! Hear and heed the voice of Jesus, Come! (Revelation 22:17) Have you been guilty of promoting the religious veil? Have your beliefs, words, and actions kept people from experiencing the resurrecting power of Christ? If so, you are the veil! Will you repent of your sin and start inviting everyone to come to Jesus? I have good news, Sunday s coming! Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 Today is Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord. This prayer and fasting guide was written to prepare you for the greatest experience ever in corporate worship to our King. I pray you are ready to worship Him in spirit and truth. But before you head to worship, can I ask you a question? Where will you worship today? I am not asking where as in relationship to the specific church. I assume you will worship at Gardendale First Baptist, duh. No, when you arrive, where will you be seated? Again, I am not asking in what section of the worship center you will sit. I am certain you will sit in your favorite spot (unless someone steals your seat!) I want to know, from a temple perspective, since you are the temple of the living God, in what section of the temple will you worship? In your mind and spirit, where will you be? Will you be standing on Solomon s Porch? Will you be in the Court of the Gentiles, the Court of the Women, the Court of the Israelites, or the Court of the Priests? Or, will you be in the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies? The place where you sit in our worship center is not reflective of where you are in your temple. Just because you sit down front to catch the slobber does not necessarily mean you are in the inner sanctuary. And, for that

37 matter, just because you are on the last row in the stadium seating does not mean you are standing on Solomon s Porch. The important place is not your physical place but your spiritual place. Here is the million dollar question: Will you be in God s favorite room? Will you worship God in the only room where worship is acceptable to God? Will you be in the Holy of Holies with God? The writer of Hebrews encouraged believers to come boldly to the throne room of God to worship Him! Everyone, who attends worship this weekend at GFBC, will be in the same physical room but not everyone will be in the same spiritual room. They could if they read and discovered the truths of the temple discussed in this book but not everyone picked up a copy. Some will be in Solomon s Court because they feel too condemned to move inward. They may even be on the front row in the worship center! Others will be in the Court of the Gentiles because they will feel as if they are too unworthy to experience the risen Savior. Some will be in the Court of the Women because they want to impress God by how much they give in tithes and offerings. Others will be in the Court of the Israelites because they are or think they are morally good and keep the law. A few will be in the Court of the Priests because they are or think they are leading in worship. Where will you be? Where should you be? You should be in the Holy of Holies because of what Jesus did for you not what you can do for yourself. You will be found in the Holy of Holies if you have and will present yourself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Again, the Holy of Holies is the only place where your worship is acceptable to God. However, the lack of understanding in this truth causes us to manipulate a false Holy of Holies experience for those who are in one of the other courts. If they will not join us in the Holy of Holies, then we will encourage them to do things that make them feel as if they are. If you are in the Holy of Holies, it will not be necessary for someone (in the Court of the Priests) to prime your pump! Those who are found in the Holy of Holies will worship in spirit and truth without any external coercion to do so. Where will you worship? I pray we will be found in the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, where God dwells mightily. If we do, we will experience the risen Savior in a supernatural way. Jesus will be magnified, the household of faith will be edified, the lost will be justified, and the devil will be horrified! It does not get any better than that (well, until we all get to heaven.) Soli Deo Gloria!

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