Entering Into His Presence

"I will make the Levites keep charge of the temple, for all its work, and for all that has to be done in it.But the priests within the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood," says the Lord GOD. "They shall enter My sanctuary, My inner court, and they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge." (Ezekiel 44:14-16).

We are at a crossroad of change, a destiny that we have not traveled before. BE PREPARED! FAST and BUILD an ALTAR as a pillar to the Lord that this bridge will not be crossed again. We cannot recycle or recirculate where we have been if we desire to move on with God. This altar that we build for God must have a personal foundation that cries out to God, "Change my heart Father."

Every time God wanted to do something new, He would call a peculiar people to build an altar, make a sacrifice, and worship God by offering a sweet smelling savor to the Lord. God honors the altars and pillars of our lives.

When Noah built an altar after the flood, a promise of God was released through ONE MAN that the earth would continue to have seed and provision. Today, we continue to reap from this promise (Genesis 8 & 9). When Abraham constructed an altar God blessed every nation in the earth through his seed. "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice" (Genesis 22: 18).

In each of us, there is a flame in our heart that does not go out. For every delay, every disappointment, God will bring back double in ways that we could not do when we allow our heart to become the altar of fire which has the ability to purify our soul. The words that come out of our mouth are the essence, the aroma, of the offering we offer unto God, "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matt. 12: 34).

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45).

"The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords" (Psalm 55:21).

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer" (Psalm 19:14).

When our words have a pleasing, sweet essence aroma before God that comes from our heart, these words has the power to transform life beyond our physical natural presence into the unseen presence on the same level as the power of a nuclear reactor giving off radiation.

The heart is the altar where sacrifice and covenant is made; where God meets man; where Heaven and earth come together. The nakedness of man is exposed to God as the face of God is unveiled to man. Our horizontal output we release from the words of our mouth reflects the vertical connection quality that is plugged into the heart with God.

The altar is: A place of intimacy with God; a place where secrets are released; a place of union and communication; a place of sensitivity; a place of devotion of LIFE; a place that creates destiny. The altar is the place where God causes the reality of the life we were living to be melted into ashes, smoke, and flames, and the counterfeit to be consumed so that flames of the fire of LIFE arise as a sweet savor into the atmosphere of your environment. This is the place that crossover changes take place in our lives as God speaks to our hearts unveiling our created destiny in Christ before the foundation of the world (John 17:24).

Throughout the Scriptures we are taught that altars represent the place that LIFE is given for cleansing so that the LIFE of God in us can be in a position of Holiness to commune and fellowship with God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the Holy of Holies. The sacrifice we must offer to enter into this intimacy is our Life on the cross, so that the LIFE of Christ in us can be resurrected now to be joined as one with the head of Christ, Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17, Col. 1:18). We have Christ LIFE in us now that was hidden by God in our hearts (Eccl. 3:11). God desires earthen vessels, temples of earth, to record His sacred name YHWH, Jehovah, which is translated I AM (Exodus 3:14). This is the marriage with the Lamb, the intimacy and oneness of God (Revelation 19:7).

Who do YOU say, "I AM?"

We read in Matthew 16 that Jesus finishes a conversation with his disciples using an allegory of yeast and bread as a statement to beware of the leaven in the teachings from the religious leaders. He then takes them to Caesarea Philippi, a place that is out of the norm of their travel and highly avoided by the Jewish people. This place is surrounded by natural beauty with lush green fertile valleys and beautiful flowing waterfalls. It is the eastern source where natural springs come out of a cave that feeds the Jordan River (also known as the river of death). Despite the beauty of the place, it was also a place that was dedicated to the Greek mythology god, Pan, along with being surrounded by temples and statues of other gods and Roman leadership. The name Pan is where we derive the word "panic."

The significance of this particular Greek god was that he was known as the god to shepherd the flocks, and the god of fertility by supposedly having intimate relationships with the flocks and the people. It was more than a place of worshipping a god, but a place of celebrating intimacy with a god that was half human and half animal with horns coming out of his head (His head is often used to depict the image of a devil). The acts of orgies and carnal lust were met with the approval of the other gods and rulers of the land signified by the temples and statues that dominated the roads and city. The cave where much of this activity was taking place was known as "the gates of Hades (hell), or also known as "the jaws of death." It was the perfect back drop for Jesus to give his disciples the grand finale of the fullness of His identity.

Jesus asked this question, "Who do You say I AM?" By Peter declaring, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the anointed one, Messiah," he was also acknowledging the fullness of God's name, "YHWH; I AM."

I Am the great shepherd

I AM the bread of LIFE

I AM the way, the truth, and the LIFE

I AM HE who lives forever more

I AM the alpha and omega

I AM resurrection LIFE

I AM the first and the last

I AM the Light of the world

I AM HOLY

I AM the giver of LIFE

I AM the calm in the midst of the storm, fear, panic

I AM the Divine presence of GOD the Father

I AM LOVE, GRACE, MERCY

I AM ALL in ALL

I AM that I AM

Notice that God did not use Jesus to declare this, but Peter, an earthen vessel seed of the bride of Christ received the Holy Spirit giving birth to the church, just as Mary received the impregnation of the Holy Spirit.

"Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades (jaws of hell, the mouth and tongue) will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind (speak and decree in MY NAME) on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose (speak and decree in MY NAME) on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matt. 16:17-19).

This place which was known as the "gates of hell" Jesus had to go to for the declaration into the atmosphere the creative words for the Father to release into the world, "YOU ARE THE CHRIST, the SON of THE LIVING GOD." This is the place that the keys of the kingdom of heaven were given; the corner stone has been established by the WORD spoken. "Let there be LIGHT...and the WORD was GOD and the WORD was with GOD...and the WORD became flesh and dwelled among men."

"Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death" (Revelation 1:17b-18).

The word "I" is the Greek word "ego" (Strong's #1473). The word "am" is the Greek word "eimi" (Strong's #1510). This word means "to be; to exist, having existence denoting the quality, state, condition or situation of a person or thing. Jesus has claimed that the totality of "ego" belongs to Elohim, the plurality of God; Christ. In the beginning Elohim created...in the beginning the WORD.

This is our altar to cross over from death to Life while in our natural body for the corruptible and mortal body must put on incorruption and immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53-54).. This is the altar of intimacy in the Holy of Holies where the church, the bride of Christ, submits the totality of self ego to be impregnated with the creative LIFE of I AM. As the wife of Christ, the church dwelling among men, they are the LIGHT of the WORLD. Out of their impregnated bellies flowed rivers of LIVING WATER, the seed, the WORD, of the Beloved (John 7:38), that has been circumcised by the heart (the hymen of virginity) and born into the world by the creative power of the WORD.

"You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you (sons of Zadok) out of darkness (the law of sowing and reaping) into his marvelous light (His identity, character, and nature found in the intimacy of the Holy of Holies)" (1 Peter 2:9).

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, is NOW, and his wife, the church, has made herself ready" (Revelation 19:7).

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God" (Revelation 21:1-3).

"In me does my soul bow itself. Therefore I remember Thee from the source of the Jordan, and of the heights of Mount Hermon, including the hill Mizar. Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; all Your waves and billows have gone over me. By day Jehovah (I AM) commanded His kindness, and by night a song is with me, a prayer (a sweet essence fragrance) to the God of my life" (Psalm 42:6-8).

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come..." (Revelation 22:17a).