Standing Fervently

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Eze 22:29-31: The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.  And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD. 

Jas 5:16b The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avail much. The operative word is “fervently”. 

Are you willing to stand fervently in the gap?

 

Is Your Temple Flourishing in His Glory?

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Ezekiel 10 records one of the most heart wrenching occurrences in scripture.  In a vision, Ezekiel witnessed the departure of the Glory of God from the Temple in Jerusalem.  Because of the vile sins of the people of Judea, what was once the Holy of Holies was no longer a fit place for the Glory to reside.

“Ezekiel 10:  ⁴ Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. …¹⁸ Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. ¹⁹ While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.”

At the eastern gate, the Glory Cloud rose above the cherubim and into the heavens.

Ezekiel was already in captivity in Babylon when the Temple was destroyed and the Ark of the Covenant was taken.

During the earthy life of our Lord Jesus, the Second Temple was the center of worship, but what few of us realize is that the Holy of Holies in that Temple was an empty room devoid of the Ark of the Covenant and the Glory Cloud. The Glory of God did not return until The New Covenant had been established through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Act 2:1-4: “ And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

The Glory returned and established His residency in the New Temple, the Church, the Body of Christ.

Paul cautioned the Church in Corinth:  1 Corinthians 3:16-17:  “Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God shall destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which you are.”

Paul also instructed the Church in Ephesus: Eph 4:22-32: “For you ought to put off the old man (according to your way of living before) who is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And you should put on the new man, who according to God was created in righteousness and true holiness. Therefore putting away lying, let each man speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the Devil. 

“Let him who stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, so that he may have something to give to him who needs. Let not any filthy word go out of your mouth, but if any is good to building up in respect of need, that it may give grace to the ones hearing. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed until the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and tumult and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. 

Paul encouraged the Church in Thessalonica:  1Thessilonians 5:16-19:  “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Do not quench the Spirit.”

Remember that only the High Priest of Israel was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem.  Jesus is our High Priest.  Therefore, only His Spirit and His Word should be allowed into the Temple of our hearts.

Proverbs 4:23: “Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

(All scriptures are from the MKJV.) 

 

Considering the Heavens: Part One

By Reverend Lonnie C. Crowe

At least six different Hebrew words have been translated into English as either heaven or heavens.  Please join me in a study of each of these words. 

The information that follows is from either Raqia: SKY, Expanse – Hebrew Word Lessons (1) or The One New Man Bible (2).

RAQIA (Rakia):

The Hebrew word raqia means to spread out or an expanse.

“Raqia is used to explain the ancient understanding of cosmology- that early Hebrew people believed in a firm dome-like structure that surrounded the world and kept the sky waters out. This was why some versions of the Bible translate raqia as “firmament”. (1)

“This is a reference to the stars, sun, moon and planets: outer space where the various heavenly bodies move in their prescribed orbits and/or maintain relationships in constellations, solar systems, galaxies, etc. Rakia is the part of the heavens that can be seen with the naked eye.” (2)

Scriptures speaking of raqia:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. (Genesis 1:1)

Then God said, “Let there be an expanse [raqia] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” God made the expanse [ha-raqia], and separated the waters that were below the expanse [la-raqia] from the waters that were above the expanse [la-raqia]; and it was so. God called the expanse [la-raqia] “heaven.” And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. (Genesis 1:6-8) (1)

Psalm 19:1

[David:] The heavens tell of the glory of God; and their expanse [ha-raqia] declares the work of His hands.

“For David, the incredible, overwhelming vastness of the sky was a testament to the power and glory of YHWH!” (1)

Job 37:18

 

[Elihu:] “Can you, with Him, spread out [ta-r’qia] the skies strong as a cast metal mirror?”

 

Ezekiel 1:22-26 (see also Ezekiel 10:1-2)

Now over the heads of the living beings there was something like an expanse [raqia], like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread out over their heads. Under the expanse [ha-raqia] their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other. And I also heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of abundant waters as they went, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of a crowd like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stopped, they let down their wings. And a voice came from above the expanse [la-raqia] that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they let down their wings. (1)

“God’s beautiful expansive sky went black with darkness as His chosen, unique Son suffered horribly at the hand of humankind. Yeshua would die on that cross… but He would not stay in His grave. He conquered death and rose up and greeted His followers with a blessing. After a ministry of forty days Yeshua went home to be with His Father. The sky, which darkened at His death, received Him as the Light of the World. He ascended into the heavens and His disciples stood in awe:” (1)

Luke 24:50-51

And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 

Jesus ascended through the raqia, and beyond what the people could see.  When He returns, He will come from above, into the raqia where we shall behold Him.(1)

We Shall Behold Him

Dottie Rambo

The sky shall unfold
Preparing His entrance
The stars shall applaud Him
With thunders of praise

The sweet light in His eyes
Shall enhance those awaiting
And we shall behold Him
Then face to face

Oh, we shall behold Him
Yes, we shall behold Him
Face to face in all of His Glory

Oh, we shall behold Him
Yes, we shall behold Him
Face to face our Savior and Lord

And the angels shall sound
The shout of His coming
And the sleeping shall rise from
Their slumbering place

And those who remain shall
We shall be changed in a moment
And we shall behold Him
Then face to face

We shall behold Him
Oh yes, we shall behold Him
Face to face in all of His Glory

We shall behold Him
Oh yes, we shall behold Him
Face to face my Savior and Lord

And we shall behold Him
Our Savior and Lord!
Savior and Lord!