The Altar of Incense

Worship… The Altar of Incense Worship is an attitude that motivates every action of our life Worship is an attitude that motivates every action of our life The Gate….Praise and Thanksgiving Psalm 100 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. Jn.10:9 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Heb.13:6 The Bronze Altar The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! Jn.1:29 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. Heb.10:11-14 The Laver If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. I Jn.1:8-10 The Holy Place…no natural light The Table of Showbread… “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. Jn.6:35 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. Jn.6:56-57 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide (continue) in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Jn.8:31-36 Free from what? The Lampstand In him was life, and the life was the light of men. Jn.1:4 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jn.8:12 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Jn.9:5 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Mt.5:14-16 The Church is intended to be where heaven and earth intersect We are heralds, we are priests-----Repent (change your minds and your lives) for the kingdom of Heaven (God) is at hand. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Eph.3:20-21 “May God open our eyes to see what the holy ministry of intercession is to which ,as His royal priesthood, we have been set part. May He give us a large and strong heart to believe what mighty influence our prayers can exert.” Andrew Murray And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.” Exodus 30:7-10 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice! Ps.141:2 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twentyfour elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Rev. 5:8 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne Rev.8:3 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. Luke 1:8-11 At the altar of incense, God speaks to us and we to Him Does God speak to you? What lights the incense? Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down. Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown. Lev.9:22-24 When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. II Chron.7:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Eph.2:18-22 The precedent…. In the Scriptures, every time a priesthood and a tabernacle are consecrated to God, the glory of God surrounds it. What is “strange fire?” And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. Lev.10:1 Everything God does, the flesh (man in his own natural ability and wisdom) tries to counterfeit. Prayer that is powerful and effective must be ignited by God. “God’s fire is sustained by intimacy with God’s heart…” The Tabernacle is a journey of our growing relationship wth God “Worship is an attitude that motivates every action of our life. When I am a worshipper, my life becomes worship. That means if I live a life of praise and gratitude (the gate) I am able to life a life of submission and sacrifice because of His cross (altar of sacrifice). That prepares me to live a life that is constantly washed and beautified in the word of God (laver). And that prepares me to live a life of communion and intimacy with God (table of showbread)…. “…Out of that comes the filling and refilling of the Spirit, which enables me to have His character for life and His power for living (Lampstand). Out of that comes the inspiration, impetus, and passion to intercede for the world I live in—to connect this spiritually impoverished world with the God that has riches (altar of incense) .” Zach Neese The Tabernacle is more about becoming, than doing. What can we learn from the prayers of Ephesians 1 & 3