Temple Prayer Blog

Prayer is the easiest to perform yet the most under utilized spiritual discipline. You can do it most anywhere and at many different times during the day. It requires only that you focus on God for a few minutes. Yet our busy and distracted lives prevent prayer from having it's transforming impact in our lives. Now I'm talking about any kind of prayer here. There are many different kinds of prayer. And the Tabernacle Prayer is my favorite by far. But TP is like a college education vs. a grammer school assignment. I believe all prayer is good. And more prayer is better than less prayer. This week, a familar verse... an often lost subtlety...revealed in the Amplified version. These kinds of things only apprehend your soul when you are praying them. Review in Matthew where the Lord is encouraging us to be prayers: Mat 7:7 Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. Ther...

My kids used to ask me, "Dad, why do you pray so many bible verses outloud?" It seems many people who consider praying the Word at some point wonder why they should do it. On one hand it seems kind of foolish, praying the words God wrote back to Him. Are we so dull that we cannot come up with meaningful prayers ourselves? I told my kids at the time that when you pray alot you run out of your own words and since I want God's promises to come alive in our family I declare them outloud. The Bible is full of people praying that way, quoting other Scriptures. By watching me they are learning how to pray the Word as well. The other day I felt like the Lord let me in on a even better reason why praying the Word is so important. The revelation came through my son D.J. He's two years old now and learning to talk up a storm. How does he learn to talk? The same way we all did, by making the same sounds his dad and mom make. He learns to speak to us by saying the things ...

The Jewish culture has always centered on temple worship. It is we gentiles who are ignorant of it. Yet we know from Ephesians that Jesus died to make one new man out of the two. (Jew and Gentile) In our ignorance we have thrown the baby out with the bathwater. Our modern form of worship pales in comparison to simply following the pattern established by God in temple worship. That does not mean we sacrifice animals. It means we honor the process of worshipping Christ according to the same pattern he himself fulfilled according to Hebrews. Eastern Gate – Jesus Christ the only way, Brazen Altar – Jesus Christ our Savior, Laver – Jesus Christ our Lord (reflect on the Ten Commandments). The Candlestick – The Holy Spirit, Jesus the Light of the World, Table of Shewbred – Jesus the Word and the Bread of Life, Altar of Incense – Worship the Father in Spirit and Truth, Holy of Holies – Intimacy with the Father through Jesus the Ark of the Covenant. If a new pattern of worshi...

My theory is that prayer is the activity but worship is what we are doing. Basically God instructed Moses to build the first portable Tabernacle in the wilderness so he could dwell with his people. Today we are a 2.0 version of that tabernacle in the wilderness. We are portable temples that God dwells in, and we are to conduct our lives accordingly. This Temple pattern of worship is throughout the Scriptures from Moses, to David, Solomon, the Kings, Prophets, Herod's Temple, Jesus saying "tear down this temple (him)", to Paul telling us we are temples of the Holy Spirit, to a look at the real temple in heaven in Revelation, Ezekiel, and other passages. So the Temple is really THE PATTERN for worshipping (drawing near to God). I don't see any other one. But wait a minute, what about Jesus Christ? Jesus is the mediator of the new way to worship God the Father. He is our Savior (Brazen Altar), our Lord (laver), the Spirit & the Light (Candlestick), the Word ...

It's been awhile since I had the grace to post here. But now there is fresh air blowing across the campus at New Life Church. Unconfessed sin has been confessed. The facade of a church without scandal is no more. It is no coincidence that Pastor Ted's last sermon was on Saul and how he disobeyed God and was removed from leadership. Now Ted is an illustrated sermon. Was it coincidence that Ted's last book was on the Tabernacle? I don't think so. Eventually every man, no matter how respected, and how "high up" in Christian circles will be shown for what he is in his heart. Does this stop us from loving him.... no way. Ted did so much good for so many that surely there are very few like him. And he was an amazing leader and evangelist. But God Ted's legacy will be none of those. Ted is now a clear example for all of us that God insists on truth in our innermost parts. And Ted's day came for truth, as it will for each of us. Let us never forget th...

The Laver, second station in the Temple, was used by the priests of old for ceremonial washing before entering the Holy Place. Today we, through the power of the Holy Spirit, use the Laver like a spiritual bath for daily cleaning of our conscience before we come into His presence. (Acts 24:16) Just as we brush our teeth daily, we clean our minds daily through the practice of repentance. At the Laver we reflect on God’s commandments, see the difference between His standards and our behavior and realize we are no longer condemned, but drawn to repentance, contriteness, and humility. The only way to dwell with God is to have a contrite heart. (Isa 57:15-21) We gain a clear conscience by appropriating God’s forgiveness through genuine confession. (1 John 1:9) We remind ourselves that under the New Covenant the commandments are not there to condemn us, but instead to lead us to repentance and a clear conscience. (Rom 3:20) This daily practice enables us be set free from sinful behavi...