Entering the Holy Place: He Is the Light of the World

Entering the Holy Place: He Is the Light of the World

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Remembering that the Tabernacle is a picture of Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him, we must understand that we can be saved and remain in the outer court.  The outer court is good, but God has something even greater for us—intimacy with Him and other believers in the Holy Place, the front room of the Tabernacle.

In the Old Testament economy, only the priests, all of whom were born into the tribe of Levi, could enter into the Tabernacle.  Today, if we are born again in Jesus, we can enter into that intimate relationship with God that He has pictured in the Tabernacle.  Because in Jesus, believers are all priests.

Three articles of furniture stood in the Holy Place, the menorah, the table of show bread and the altar of incense.

The menorah was a lampstand.  A study of the menorah reveals much about our Savior.  It was crafted of beaten gold depicting His suffering in the courts of the religious leaders, at the hands of the Romans and on the cross.  It was comprised of seven branches to hold seven oil lamps.  Seven is the number of completion, of perfection, of God. The oil represents the Holy Spirit.  It was only in the light of the menorah that the priests could minister in the Holy Place. 

During the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus taught in the outer court of the Temple.

John 8:12: "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.''

He is our menorah, our lampstand. We can truly minister only in His light. The Word of God has much to say about our walking in that light:

Matthew 5:13-15:  Jesus spoke of His followers saying: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”

 Matthew 5:16.:  He has commissioned us:  "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

1 John 1:4-5: “And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”

We must enter at the gate, come through the courtyard and into the Holy Place in order to bask in His light, to be empowered by His Spirit and to enjoy a richer fellowship with Him. It is a progression, a Holy Highway. On that Highway, we find our joy.

Take your harp from the willow tree, put on your marching shoes, ctrl/click the following link and join the holy marching band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsrpSM2Fz-s

Eclipse Musings

Eclipse Musings
By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Romans 1:20a: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead.”  

What invisible attributes of God can be clearly seen in the solar eclipse?

Notice how the shadow moves across the face of the sun and conceals the light.  Yet, even in its totality, the eclipse does not completely cover the light. Even though the eclipse covers the sun, the corona of the sun can still be seen. Corona is the Latin word for crown.  

Jesus is the Light of the world.  He is King of Kings.  For most of us, the eclipse will be only time in our lives that we will see the corona which pictures His crown, His majesty, His glory.
John 1:5: “His life is the light that shines through the darkness--and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

As soon as the darkness of the eclipse is at its fullness, it moves on. It appears as though the light is pushing it away.

The message:  The darkness of sin has spread across our nation and the world.  It seems to have eclipsed truth. Yet, in the darkest of times, the corona of Jesus Christ can still be seen.  In the fullness of His timing, the light will again come forth and dispel the darkness.
In the eclipse, we see that in Jesus Christ, darkness can never overcome light.

All this was put into place in Genesis 1, on the fourth day, when the Lord placed the sun, moon and stars in the heavens.

I marvel at the magnitude and exactitude of Yahweh, Elohim, the Lord God Almighty.

An Eclipse of Biblical Proportion

An Eclipse of Biblical Proportion

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

On August 21, 2017, we will witness a total eclipse of the sun across much of our nation. Thousands will be coming to areas within the eclipse path.  I am blessed to live in one of the “hot” spots where the eclipse will be total. However, the eclipse is not only a natural event, but also a supernatural phenomenon.  God placed the lights in the sky for signs and for seasons.  God has a message for us.

Smith’s Bible Dictionary gives us some historical context: “No historical notice of an eclipse occurs in the Bible, but there are passages in the prophets which contain manifest allusion to this phenomenon. (Joel 2:10,31; 3:15; Amos 8:9; Micah 3:6; Zechariah 14:6) Some of these notices probably refer to eclipses that occurred about the time of the respective compositions: thus the date of Amos coincides with a total eclipse which occurred Feb. 9, B.C. 784, and was visible at Jerusalem shortly after noon; that of Micah with the eclipse of June 5, B.C. 716. A passing notice in (Jeremiah 15:9) coincides in date with the eclipse of Sept. 30, B.C. 610, so well known from Herodotus' account (i. 74, 103). The darkness that overspread the world at the crucifixion cannot with reason be attributed to an eclipse, as the moon was at the full at the time of the Passover.”

The prophets spoke about the sins of Israel and the coming judgment as the result of that sin.  We know that our world today wallows in sin that could rightly result in the judgment of God coming upon the scene.

However, the message if the prophets was not limited to impending judgment.   The prophets also spoke of deliverance and salvation for the believing remnant. 

Amos: 9:11-15: "On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,'' says the Lord who does this thing.

"Behold, the days are coming,'' says the Lord, "When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them,'' says the Lord your God.”

Just as God used judgment to call straying Israel back to Himself, He will use judgment to purify the Church, the Bride of Christ.  Our Christ is returning for a Bride without spot or blemish (Ephesians 5:27). 

Remember, in the beginning, darkness covered the face of the deep.  God spoke into that darkness and commanded, “Light be” and light is. 

If this is to be an eclipse of Biblical proportion, allow God to speak into the darkness of your spirit so that light can pervade your being.  Then the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings and the light of His love will eclipse the darkness (Malachi 4:2).

Coming into His Court

Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Isaiah 35:8-10

“A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray.”

The Tabernacle in the wilderness and, later, the Temple in Jerusalem provided the road map for the Highway of Holiness.   

Once we enter into the doorway, that is, once we enter through our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we find ourselves surrounded and protected by the purity of the unblemished Lamb of God. 

In the courtyard, we come first to the brazen altar of sacrifice where we are reminded of Jesus, Who became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.

Isaiah 53-4-6: “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Then we come to the laver filled with living water.  There the priests washed their hands and feet before entering the Tabernacle itself.  The laver reminds us that we need to be cleansed, to confess our sins and repent, before we can enter into the presence of God. We must open our Bibles and learn to walk and be washed by His word.

Ephesians 5:25-26: “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.”

In the Old Testament economy, only the priests, all of whom were born into the tribe of Levi, could enter into the Tabernacle.  Today, if we are born again in Jesus, we can enter into that intimate relationship with God that is pictured in the Tabernacle.  In Jesus, we are all priests.

Revelation 1:5-6: “from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” What an awesome privilege.  Only those who have accepted the sacrifice of our Lord and choose to walk with Him may enter into the presence of God Most High. 

We can be saved and remain in the outer court.  The outer court is good, but God has something even greater for us—intimacy with Him and other believers in the Holy Place, the front room of the Tabernacle.

Today is the day to accept that Jesus is the only way, to step through the gate and allow yourself to be surrounded by His purity and holiness, to recognize His sacrifice for you, to allow yourself to be cleansed, to put on your priestly mantle and become a part of that redeemed remnant who will bring the song back to Zion and the praise back to God.

Ctrl/click the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsrpSM2Fz-s

Holy Highway

Ginger Hendricks | Jim Hendricks