Neighbour remains unidentified after thousands of years of pursuing the slam dunk of love.

Idolatry remains unidentified after thousands of years of worshipping the invisible God.

Ancient things are rudimentary and introductory because the mystery of godliness was kept from the understanding of the ancients. A few persons saw the coming kingdom of God. Tabernacle, blood, high priest, sacrifice are empty when the interpretation proceeds without the blood of Yeshua as the anchor for all that proceeds from that kingdom.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, Heb. 10:19 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, Heb. 10:20 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, Heb. 10:21 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Heb. 10:22

These verses give a picture of approaching God in a new way and they do so using Levitical images:

• holy places
• blood (of a sacrifice)
• curtain (veil)
• high priest
• God’s house
• draw near (qarab, to bring, 105 times in Leviticus)
• sprinkling (12 times in Leviticus)
• wash (37 times in Leviticus)

These verses also introduce a picture of approaching God in a new way by pinning the approach to the Lord Yeshua’s blood. This leads to an intimacy that keeps happening as often as we wish. Christ’s blood makes access possible to all people, not only to Abraham’s descendants.

How this plays out in Christian worship has nothing to do with physical location except when the church is gathered. Even then the approach is cosmic. We by following the leaders in our services are joining the great fellowship of believers in prayers everywhere.

With Confidence

Christians face no barrier to the God of the Covenant. Christ ushers us into the holiest place. That is what is meant by through the veil: the veil used to hide or separate the inner chamber from the rest of the sacred tent. NO anxiety should accompany our worship and fellowship with the Father. John reminds us that Christ is the satisfaction for both the world and the saints. It is with confidence in the bag that we can approach God to praise him and seek his help. No one needs anything beside the blood of Christ to enjoy this access.

New cannot be old

The New brings perfection or maturity as opposed to childish and elementary things. The old cannot regulate the new. Christ was offered once for all. He is a priest of a different order.

If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need [was there] that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? Heb. 7:11

For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. Heb. 7:12

For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. Heb. 7:13

For [it is] evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. Heb. 7:14

And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, Heb. 7:15

Tabernacle, blood, high priest, sacrifice are effective concepts when interpretated in the light of Yeshua’s person and work. All else is juvenile bondage. Christ delivers adoption of humans from every family and love that connects them with God directly. His message, coming to us through the apostolic witnesses, allows no return to Moses and Levitical conventions.

Better hope has come so we can come to God any time and anywhere

For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness Heb. 7:18

(for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. Heb. 7:19

It is not possible for politicians who have spent 8 years obstructing the 44th president to wake up to facts and disavow their racist and violent manifesto, to recognize truth in any form. The church leaders of the United States have been virtually silent while the mercenary evangelical mob sneaked the right to life – a constitutional pillar- into the church’s mission. They tricked themselves into a slimy pit of soundbytes and dead doctrines when they formed an alliance with the Republican Party.

The end of abortion is a pretext for distracting the nation builders from dressing the gaping wound of bigotry and slavery. The same people waving the pro-life flag are also committing crimes of fascist nationalism.

Their professed care for the unborn is inconsistent with their silence about homicides, especially about their children’s. Their inaction to the commonplace bigotry-fuelled mass shootings, to the massacre of  Jews,  their eagerness to put Muslims and Mexicans into a trash category is fully consistent with wild beasts and farm animals.

2. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD has spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. 3. The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel does not know, my people does not consider. 4. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger, they are gone away backward.

Isaiah 1:2-4

Hard to Heal

None of the churches (denominations) in North America ever cared enough about social justice to take a public stand.   That zeal died with the revolution and every upward step by the upcoming generation has been the victim of the grip of old Caucasian males on political office.  The legacy of the justice fight is as assassination-laden as any racist imperial government anywhere. Politicians who return to office until their 8th and 9th decades – at which time they find youthful clones – are a scandal and disgrace. “Tomorrow’s leaders ” turn out to be yesterday’s monsters. The fresh views and unpolluted passion of young people are no longer the lifeline of consistent transfer and visionary growth.

People on their way down

The designed divide in the government – opposition and incumbent – is enough evidence that healing is not possible.  Divided houses fall!  Lies perpetrated by Abraham, Hammurabi, Pharaoh, Moses, Aaron, Nebuchadnezzar, Nehemiah,  heads of state, or people representatives are not cute and serve no noble process.  A lying prostitute is the heritage of the nations in the last days.

Lies and fables

9. Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city. 10. Day and night they go about it on the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the middle of it. 11. Wickedness is in the middle thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.

Psalms 55:9-11

People who do not curb their desires to be first in everything are doomed to become a proverb. This does not say much for the billions spent to be great (again?)

Their constitutional integrity tells them a Gentile will become high priest in Israel.  They are professional disesteemers.

Behold, you despisers, be astonished and perish, because I am carrying on a work in your time–a work which you will utterly refuse to believe, though it be fully declared to you.'”

Acts 13:41

Leading others

When you are asked to pray in public the effectiveness of your prayer should be intelligible, to the extent that (1) you address the matters you are asked to address, (2) you have the “Amen” of the audience and (3) that you are following the Lord’s instructions. The effectiveness of a prayer should be measured by the answer that God gives, whether immediate or delayed. The problems we face in our prayers include the fact that we often ask for things that we have the power to change, and there is too often no evidence that the prayer-minister is in receipt of the divine answer. Saying “amen” does not ensure God’s receipt or answer

Do we listen?

Prayer is a two-way communication. If one asks the prayer-minister “What did God say in response to your requests?” the answer will in most cases be “I cannot say”. The neglected aspect of prayer is that we do not listen as well as we speak.

Who is dictating?

The main hindrances to effective prayer is that we do not follow the Holy Spirit’s lead. After all He is the supreme Prayer-helper. He prays for us, prays ahead of us, and delivers the intents of our hearts to the Father. Related to this hindrance is the fact that we address the Son of God (who insists that we pray to the Father) and the Holy Spirit.
“Let us pray” should elicit a collective attitude and a listening ear, because it is ill-mannered to speak and not listen to the person to whom we are speaking. We ought to be assured that while we are speaking that God is preparing and sending the answer, and His work is not always perceptible in the natural world. People do not have to fall into trances as evidence that God hears us.

Already in progress

The call to prayer should be a signal to focus that which is already in progress, both on our account and more importantly the Holy Spirit’s. “Let us pray” is a reminder of the prayerful attitude that we ought to be in all the time with the acknowledgement that the entire audience is at the throne of God by virtue of the Holy Spirit’s ministry.