PERFECTING OBEDIENCE 2
(week 38/10)
OLUBI JOHNSON
In our article last week, we began to see how to perfect obedience, using the way shown in the Tabernacle of Moses exemplified by the pattern of the Lord Jesus Himself.
This week, we will continue the steps of this way that take us into ‘working’ in the ‘Holy Place’.
3. Candlestick or Lampstand (Ex. 25:31-40):
The candlestick symbolizes the individual Christian who has the 7 Spirits of God (Is. 11:1-2) functioning in him.
So, to operate at the candlestick, we pray for humility, the 7 spirits of God and more love for God in our wills, mind emotions and bodies.
“Father, I confess our (i.e. self, immediate family, household, etc) sins, so we clean with the blood” (to cover the multitude of sins, 1Pet. 4: 7-8, keep the commandment without spot, 1Tim. 6: 14: and edify ourselves in love, Eph. 4: 15; 1Jn. 5: 16).
“In Jesus name we have life” (visualize the flow of life into you as living water, Jn. 4:10, 14).
“I choose to fear God (Pr.1:29), so, I humble myself by submitting to the will of God even when I don’t feel like it (Phil.2:8) especially in prayer knowing the certainty of His judgement if I disobey (Heb.2:2) and the security of His mercy when I obey (Pro. 28:13; James 2:13).”
Meditate: Think for a short while on what you have just said with a determination to practice it.
Pray in tongues for a short while as above and as you pray, say in your heart and determine to practice what you have just confessed, mentally acknowledging with thanksgiving (Col.4:2) the presence of the three Persons of the God-Head in the air around you (Psalms 16:8).
Pray for wisdom and revelation because it is the principal part of love
Father, I confess our (i.e. self, immediate family, household, etc) sins, so we clean with the blood (to cover the multitude of sins, 1Pet. 4: 7-8, keep the commandment without spot. 1Tim. 6: 14: and edify ourselves in love, Eph. 4: 15; 1Jn. 5: 16).
“In Jesus name we have life” (visualize the flow of life into you as living water, Jn. 4:10, 14).
“Father, please give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17) in the present complete knowledge and spiritual understanding (Col.1:9-11) of You to grow into the perfection and fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:11-15) to walk in love to watch and pray always (Luke 21:36): to make me as wise as a serpent, as harmless as a dove (Matt.10:16) and as bold as lion (Pro.28:1) in Jesus Name.”
Meditate: Think for a short while on what you have just said with a determination to practice it.
Pray in tongues for a short while as above and as you pray, say in your heart and determine to practice what you have just confessed, mentally acknowledging with thanksgiving (Col.4:2) the presence of the three Persons of the God-Head in the air around you (Psalms 16:8).
“Father, I confess our (i.e. self, immediate family, household, etc) sins, so we clean with the blood” (to cover the multitude of sins, 1Pet. 4: 7-8, keep the commandment without spot, 1Tim. 6: 14: and edify ourselves in love, Eph. 4: 15; 1Jn. 5: 16).
“In Jesus name we have life” (visualize the flow of life into you as living water, Jn. 4:10, 14).
“I love God with all my heart: will, mind, emotions and strength (Matt.22:37); and I love my brethren as Christ loves them (Jn.13:34): washing their feet (Jn.13:14-15) by forgiving and so confessing their sins (Jn.20:23; 1Jn.1:9), asking life for them (1Jn.5:16) and praying for them in tongues frequently (1Cor.14:18; Jude 20) at least once every six hours (2Sam. 6:13, Mk.13:35) to cover for every hour throughout the day, to help them repent to will and do of God’s good pleasure (Phil.2:13, Hebrews 13:21).”
Meditate: Think for a short while on what you have just said with a determination to practice it.
Pray in tongues for a short while as above and as you pray, say in your heart and determine to practice what you have just confessed, mentally acknowledging with thanksgiving (Col.4:2) the presence of the three Persons of the God-Head in the air around you (Psalms 16:8).
4. Table of Shewbread (Ex. 25:23-30):
The shewbread symbolizes the life of God that we receive from the Lord Jesus by His sacrifice by taking on human flesh. So as we do this, we ‘eat’ His ‘flesh’.
John 6:33 MKJV: For the bread of God is He who comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world.
John 6:51 MKJV: I am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he shall live forever. And truly the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
We pray to receive the life of God in more than enough measure to fill our heart and so overcome and escape the corruption in this world through lust:
2 Peter 1:4 ESV: by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
Proverbs 18:20-21 KJV: A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. (21) Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
5. Altar of incense (Ex. 30:1-10):
The altar of incense symbolizes praying with all kinds of prayer in the spirit (Eph. 6:18).
Psalms 141:2 KJV: Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Revelation 8:3-4 MKJV: And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer. And many incenses were given to him, so that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints on the golden altar before the throne. (4) And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God from the angel’s hand.
With hearts now full of the life of God from step 4, we now proceed to pray in the Spirit with all types of prayer: petitions, supplications, intercessions (groanings or travail) and thanksgivings (1 Tim. 2:1; Rom. 8:26, Gal. 4:19, Col. 4:12).
Ephesians 6:18 MKJV: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching to this very thing with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
As we pray in this way, the power of the Holy Spirit released from our spirits as rivers of living water (Jn. 7:38-39) overcomes the sin nature in our flesh which acts as ‘veil’ (Heb. 10:20) so allowing us to make a transition into the holiest of all.
In our article next week, we will look at the last steps of perfecting obedience in the way shown in the Tabernacle.
