Ex. 40:34-38

The Old and The New

2:00 AM


Friday May 3rd-Heb. 9:12

Read Heb. 9

The Old Tabernacle

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Exodus 25:8-9
The Lord commanded Moses to build a sanctuary. It was to be a tabernacle or movable tent which would be suitable for Israel’s nomadic life.  The Levites would have responsibility for it [Num. 8:2-4]. It was to be a dwelling place for the Lord among His people. It was filled with His glory and by His presence there He would personally lead the children of Israel on their journey.[Ex. 40:34-38]
With the old tabernacle the priests offered sacrifices every single day, but only once a year the high priest was to enter into the holy of holies with blood, which he offers to God to cover his own sins and the sins the people have committed in ignorance. By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the Most Holy Place was not open to the people as long as the first room and the entire system it represents were still in use. By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use.
This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established Heb. 9:7-10

The New Tabernacle

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So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption 9:11-12

Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 9:14
And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.   9:27-28

I am so thankful that Jesus came to earth to live as we live.  Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.   Heb. 2:17-18
He is coming back again! 

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He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!  Rev. 22:20


Becky Austin

Citizens of Heaven (Philippians 3)

12:30 AM




Philippians 3

Paul was born among the elite of the Jews.  He also had the privilege of being a Roman citizen. In terms of social status and worldly standing, he could claim many benefits not offered to “the average Joe”. In terms of religious standing, he was at the top of the class, a zealous and devout Pharisee. He had much to trust in and much to place his identity in. But, Paul came to understand that none of those things mattered compared to Christ. None of those things could put him in right standing with God or give him the security of eternal life.  
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (v8) 

In one of Spurgeon’s sermons, he gives a couple of great sailing examples for us to relate to. As many of us have likely seen in a movie, great ships often voyaged the seas laden with valuable supplies and treasures. When encountering potential death, however in terms of a storm or enemy they needed to outrun, they would often toss those supplies and treasures overboard to lighten the ship and save their lives. Life and death circumstances can certainly cause us to reevaluate how our possessions truly serve us. We all know that Paul’s personal encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus certainly caused him to reevaluate how his religious status and pious devotion to “religion” did not serve him in terms of gaining eternal life.  
Another circumstance in which sea voyagers would toss precious cargo overboard would be to gain speed to overtake a ship that offered them even more valuable treasures and profit. Paul began to realize that all he possessed hindered him from gaining the eternal life only Christ could provide. He was willing to give up all to pursue a more valuable prize.... 
 “in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”(3:8-11) 

Paul was privileged to be called a citizen of Rome but Paul knew that Christ offered him and each of us a more valuable citizenship.  
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (20-21) 



Do you have your personal vessel loaded down with earthly cargo. Are you ready to toss those things you cling to that hinder your attainment of more valuable treasure?  Are you ready to lighten your burden, shed your earthly treasures and to pursue Christ? Christ offers you the best treasure that could ever be obtained. He offers you citizenship in heaven where you will know eternal love, acceptance and joy. 

2 Corinthians

A Sweet Fragrance of Christ

12:00 AM

Do you know that you convey a message of eternal life or death without saying a word? To one you are a sweet pleasing aroma, but to another you have the aroma of death! Did you know that every Christ follower has this same power?

Everyone seem to be on the Essential Oil bandwagon these days, but even if you’re not I bet you can instantly think of an aroma or scent that is pleasing to your senses; like homemade bread, apple pie, lilacs. All of these will instantly transport me back to my childhood, but what of spoiled milk or rancid meat? I’m sure all of us have tentatively gone to check to see if the milk in the frig is still good only to discover it has soured!   
2 Corinthians 2:14-16 says, “In Christ the Messiah, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, He brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse. (MSG)
Have you ever thought of yourself as a diffuser?  The moment we accepted Christ as our Savior, we were filled with the Holy Spirit, and the pleasant aroma we are diffusing is the knowledge of God and the truth of the gospel. If we’re walking in faith like we’re supposed to be, then everywhere we go we should be giving off the aroma of Christ. Isn’t that neat?
Some people will be drawn to the aroma we give off, and will be eager to experience the life giving eternal Salvation that Jesus offers, while others will find the aroma offensive and cast us off.  It’s important to remember that we can’t control how someone will respond to the knowledge of God, all we can do is be a Spirit-filled conduit through which it can flow.
It's time we go out and "declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples" (Psalm 96:3) everywhere we go!