There are moments when, whatever be the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees.

“Always keep on praying.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

I.  You Are the Priest

A.  1 Peter 2:9

1.  Peter was writing to everyday normal people who were Christians.  …He was talking to people who were wrestling with how their new faith would be lived out in a world with which they no longer fully identified.

B.  In search of a greater identity

1.    People are often in search of a greater identity.  They are dissatisfied with who they are.  They dream of being someone else.  They believe that a greater identity will allow them to do things they presently cannot do.  A greater identity will enable them to go places they only dream of going and meet people they only fantasize about meeting.

a.  Do you ever find yourself searching for a greater identity?

b.  I do.  …And when I do, it is because I have forgotten my great identity as a priest of God.  We cannot steal, buy, or earn our identity as priests.  God has graciously given us this exciting identity.  Our identity as a priest enables us to go where others have longed to go and meet who others have dreamed of meeting.

II.  Where You Can Go

1. Inside the special place

1.  Part of the privilege was where the priest was able to go.  The high priest held the privilege of entering the most sacred place in the Jewish culture. The high priest was able to go into what was called the Most Holy Place.

2.  The Most Holy Place was the most important room in the temple and in the tabernacle before the temple was built.  Only the high priest  could go there.

a.  Hebrews 9:1-7

3.  Both the temple and the tabernacle were divided into three main parts:  the outer court, the Holy Place (the first room), and the Most Holy Place (the inner room).  Surrounding the temple’s outer court was the court of the Gentiles.  The court of the Gentiles was intended to give Gentiles (non-Jewish people) a place to worship God.  But the court was far removed from the Most Holy Place.  …The outer court was the biggest part of the temple.  The outer court was where Jewish people could worship.  In the outer court there was the bronze altar where sacrifices were made and the bronze basin where priests washed their bloody hands.  …Then there was the Holy Place.  The Holy Place is where the priests could enter.  While the Holy Place was more sacred and special than the outer court, it still was not the best.  …The place where everyone longed to be was behind the second curtain.  Behind the veil was the Most Holy Place.  In the Most Holy Place was the ark of covenant.  The lid of the ark was called the mercy seat.  The mercy seat was where God and man met.

a.  Exodus 25:12-22

B.  Now

1.   Hebrews 10:19-22

a.  Amazingly, you can walk past the court of the Gentiles, through the outer court, and into the Holy Place.  And you don’t have to stop there.  You can enter the Most Holy Place.  …Confidently.  Not with fear, worry, insecurity, or doubt.  But with confidence.  You are a priest, and you do not need to tiptoe into the presence of God.

b.  This was huge news to the readers in the first century.  The concept of the Most Holy Place was way out of their league.  Entering the Most Holy Place was not something they associated with confidence.

III.  Where Kings Can’t Go

A.  Uzziah

1.  2 Chronicles 26:1-5

a.  God was showing favor.  Uzziah would be known as a great king, as a man who feared God, a man whom God chose to bless.  Unfortunately his story has a different ending.

2.  2 Chronicles 26:16-23

a.  Uzziah was a famous and effective king.  Yet he was not allowed inside the temple.  His wealth, success, status, crown, and sill were insufficient to gain him access to the presence of God.

3.  If you are a follower of Christ, God has qualified you to enter His presence.  You are invited because you are His priest.  You can go further than Uzziah.  You are able to go where a king could not.  …You have confidence  to enter the Most Holy Place.

B.  What changed?

1.  Why can you enter the presence of God when people like Uzziah could not?  What gives you the honor of entering the Most Holy Place?  What is different now from the centuries of life under the temple system?

2.  Christ changed everything.

a.  Hebrews 10:19-22

3.  During the days of the tabernacle and the temple, the high priest would sacrifice an animal on the bronze altar in the outer court.  The high priest would do this one day a year called Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement.  The blood sacrifice was to cover the sins committed by the people in ignorance (Heb. 9:7).  Regular sacrifices were made to cover the sins that people knew they committed.  But once a year a sacrifice was made for the sins the people did not realize they committed.  …The high priest would take blood from the sacrifice with him into the Most Holy Place.  He would sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat.  He could not enter the presence of God without blood from the sacrifice.

4.  Christ changed everything.  He came to this earth two thousand years ago and willingly laid down His life (John 10:18).  He sacrificed Himself so that we could gain access to God.  He placed Himself on the cross, the sacrificial altar.

5.  It is no coincidence that God sent His Son to die during a time in history when death by crucifixion was the norm.  The death had to be bloody because “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” of sins (Heb. 9:22).  So at just the right time, Christ came to this earth (Rom. 5:6).  Christ’s sacrifice was once and for all because He offered His own blood (Heb. 9:24-28).

6.  It is also no coincidence that Jesus was crucified during the Jewish Passover celebration, when lambs were being sacrificed.  Jesus is “the Lam of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).  His death had to be bloody so you could enter the Most Holy Place – so you could enter the presence of God.

7.  You are invited into the presence of God by the blood of God’s Son.  Without the Son, you would be far removed from the Most Holy Place.

8.  In the temple and tabernacle system, a curtain separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple.  From the rest of the world.  …From you.  …This curtain separated us from God.  We could not peer behind the curtain.  We could not go behind the veil.  The curtain was a constant reminder that the presence of God was inaccessible.  …But when Christ died, a new and living way opened for us.  As He was breathing His last breath on the cross, a miraculous event occurred.

a.  Matthew 27:50-51

9.  As Christ’s body was torn, the curtain in the temple was torn.  Because Christ’s body was torn, the veil was torn.  The Most Holy Place became accessible.  Christ changed everything.

C.  Where?

1.  God no longer meets with man in an earthly Most Holy Place.  His throne is not in a temple, church, or room.  His throne is in heaven.

a.  Hebrews 8:1-5

2.  The earthly tabernacle and temple were only photocopies of the real thing.  The real and true temple is in heaven.  The original mercy seat is the throne of God.  …Now we are able to go directly to the throne of God to find grace and mercy.  We don’t physically go to the throne of God, but spiritually we do.  We don’t meet with God in a building somewhere.  We are able to meet with Him anywhere; therefore, you can enter the presence of God wherever you are.

D.  We are the house of God

1.  We are the house of God.  He lives within us who are Christians; therefore, we can meet with Him anywhere.

2.  Spiritually you can go to the throne of God.  Right where you are.  You are invited.  Right now.

3.  Right now you can meet with God.  In fact, you have an even greater privilege than the high priest.  …The high priest could only go into the Most Holy Place one day each year on the Day of Atonement.  The high priests and all of the Jewish people looked forward to this day.  Their spiritual slate would be symbolically wiped clean.  Their sins would be covered.  …You don’t have to wait for a special day.  An you don’t need to rush.  You can spend time with God right now.  …You may enter the Most Holy Place.  Anytime.  Anywhere.

4.  What would tomorrow be like if you remembered that you are a priest? What would be different in the morning?  How would the drive to work or throughout town change?  How would you approach the day?  What would you think about as you dozed off in bed?  …What should be different?  How should you respond to this reality?

IV.  Slow Down

A.  Psalm 46:10

1.  Slow down.  Take time to enter the presence of God.

2.  When we are still, we are reminded of His greatness.  When we slow down, we are more able to listen.  If we are never still, we miss what He is doing.  We miss His invitation to enter His presence.  We miss His invitation becuase we are always on the go, always in a rush.

B.  John 10:27

1.  His sheep listen to His voice because they know Him.  They know His voice.

2.  How amazing is God’s voice to you?  How beautiful is the music He plays for you?  Will you stop to listen to Him?  Will you slow down?

V.  Stay Connected

A.  Invited into the Most Holy Place

1.  We are continually invited into the Most Holy Place.  We are invited to the best seat in the world.  We are invited to enjuoy the presence of God, to be with Him, to be before Him.  But we often miss the opportunity.  Why do we miss the ongoing opportunity to enjnoy the presence of God?  …Sadly we often treat prayer as this thing we do at important junctures in our day instead of continual commmunication with God.  We pray in the morning.  We pray before meals.  We pray at bedtime.  And if we are really good Christians, we pray before important meetings.  …But what about the rest of the day?  The rest of our lives?

2.  When we view prayer as something we only do at scheduled moments in our day, we miss the opportunity to be continually in the presence of God.  Perhaps Paul was reflecting on this truth when he wrote, “Pray constantly” (1 Thess. 5:17).

a.  Pray constantly.

b.  Stay connected.

The reality:  You are a royal priest.  You can enter the presence of God.  You can meet with Him.  Anytime.  Anywhere.

The response:  Slow down.  Stay connected.

*This FOCUS University Ministry Bible Study is based Identity:  Who You Are in Christ by Eric Geiger.  All direct quotes are in italics above.

Psalm 150 (King James Version)

From the book God Calling (www.twolisteners.org )

May 31 Prayer Without Words

Lord, hear us, we pray.                                

Hear and I answer.  Spend much time in prayer.  Prayer is of many kinds, but of whatever kind, prayer is the linking up of the soul and mind and heart to God.

So that if it is only a glance of faith, a look or word of Love, or confidence, and no supplication is expressed, it yet follows that supply and all necessary are secured.

Because the soul, being linked to God, united to Him, receives in and through Him all things.  And the soul, when in human form, needs too the things belonging to its habitation.

Pray without ceasing.  1 Thessalonians 5:17

Leviticus 11:16 and Deuteronomy 14:15 are the only instances in the Bible in which the night hawk is listed, as a bird amongst prohibited or unclean birds.
Three distinctive characteristics of the night hawk that we can learn from are
1.  it ability to incessantly keep singing that bewilders the hearer as to how a bird can hold its breath for such a prolonged period of time.
2. it sits longitudinally to the branch it perches, making it almost impossible for a viewer to see where it is and only its cry gives away it’s presence and
3. it’s cry is so distinctive that it can be identified by it voice

So what can we learn from the night hawk?

1. Do we pray incessantly as we are asked to. Paul, the Apostle admonishes believers to “pray incessantly (without ceasing)” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
2. Are we aligned (sitting longitudinally) with the word of God, hiding in the word of God, so that we may be caught in the sight of those who seek to turn us away from God. The psalmist says that to hiding the word of God in our hearts, will hide us from the sins that try to encumber us (Psalm 119:11)
3. Can we be identified by our voice?Are we known by what we speak? This is of paramount importance. Our words can build others or break others. The Bible says that we are accountable for every word that we utter (Matthew 12:36-37). James cautions us to control our tongue (James 3). There is a time to be silent (Be Still and know that He is God in control) and there is a time to speak (with the boldness of the Apostles when we are in the business of sharing the Gospel). How are we known by our voice?

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV)
¹⁷ Pray without ceasing.

Psalm 119:11
¹¹ Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Matthew 12:36-37
³⁶ But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
³⁷ For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

“…and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
Hebrews 10:21-22 (NIV)

“But you, when you pray, enter into your room. And shutting your door, pray to your Father in secret; and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly.”Matthew 6:6 (NLT)

“Keep on praying.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT)

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”
Colossians 3:2 (NAS)

” You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.”
Psalm 23:6 (NIV)

Hey guys (and gals), here’s a great activity to get involved in at school!

The 5.17 Thing

“Pray without ceasing.” -1 Thessalonians 5:17

• What is it? The 5.17 Thing is a group of students who meet daily before school for a student lead prayer time.
• Isn’t that illegal? Actually, the equal access at gives student lead religious groups the right to meet at the school just as any other student lead group would.
• When and Where? We meet in Mrs. Dobb’s classroom (room 1026, Social Studies hallway by the stairs) at 7:45 at the high school.

See you there!

I went to bed early yesterday night. Not that I fell asleep quickly though. I read an hour of The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. Then I reluctantly set that down to pray. I am always in need of the same things. Faith, God’s love, the ability to trust again. But I needed to add more stuff. I had to ask Him for things that are a bit more mundane, but still important to me. Like my insane addiction to food lately. I asked Him to help me keep at the running and to improve. Remind me that depression is not in accordance with His will and that even though it is comfortable, it is self-destructive. I prayed for my future spouse, that God would keep him close to His heart and give him courage in his walk and that he would be ready for me when we met. On a tangent, yet pressing note, I asked that He would direct me in my feelings towards this one boy. I think this guy is a really wonderful young man, but of course God’s will is the ultimate authority. So I asked that He tell me somehow if I should be pursuing this guy or if it’s all just wishful thinking.

Now I open up the Bible. I have asked God for answers, and now it’s time to hear His word. Nehemiah. I’m like, “Meh. This is going to be that generic OT stuff. Maybe I opened to the wrong part.” But giving up right off the bat seemed foolish so I read a bit. Nehemiah was the perfect person to be watching right now. He seemed like a pretty normal guy. He served wine to the king, no one special. But when the Jews are in trouble he notices the trouble they’re in. He didn’t ignore it, but he didn’t leap right in. He prayed first. And the king let him go, equipped with the letters and equipment he would need. We cannot ignore the plights of other people, especially people in our own church community. But we must look to God for a plan of action. Maybe it is not our place or time. Maybe it IS and God’s blessing will aid the mission immeasurably. Point is, we need to know how God wants the situation handled. I really enjoyed reading the book of Nehemiah and I felt like I found a level-headed friend in him. Our strength and encouragement can come not only from God, but from our fellow Christians doing His will. Nehemiah was Jewish, but the old school Jews arr Christians as far as I’m concerned. Agreed? The most important thing that was revealed to me that night was to pray. Pray about and for everything. Pray all the time. Pray, pray, pray. “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thes. 5:17) “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Eph. 6:18) “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Tim. 2:1-2). Hooyah!

And Happy Ramadan to all of you Muslims out there. I may not believe Muhammed (peace be upon him) was a prophet or that the Qur’an is God’s word, but I do admire your devotion.