Scarlet-To-Snow -- Messages6

As a Royal Priesthood, we must walk in what God has provided us in fulfilling our purpose here on earth. He provided us His Word – His High Holy Standard, even in the flesh of His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus’ work on earth for us was to redeem us from the curse of the law, to show us that we can live holy, and to reconcile us to God The Father. In restoring us to The Father, we are now to be holy and righteous while loving and serving/ministering to Him with our whole hearts, minds, souls, and strength. Having been restored to Him, He is to now be first and foremost in our lives above all things, beings, and self.

The Lord God is expecting nothing less than holiness from The Church. It is imperative that we, as our Lord Jesus Christ did, SET OUR FACES LIKE A FLINT while here on earth in these bodies so that we become and remain holy. Jesus did not veer from the road the Father placed Him on to bring about the New Covenant plan of salvation for mankind. Just as Jesus did the Father’s will by staying on course even to His death as the Sacrificial Lamb, so must we, The Church/Royal Priesthood stay on the course of God’s plan of salvation: HOLINESS, RIGHTEOUSNESS/FAITH, OBEDIENCE. Remember, without HOLINESS, no man shall see The Lord (Hebrews 12:14). It’s holiness or nothing because God doesn’t care about how many grandiose churches you helped build ~ how many television stations you helped build ~ how many people you laid hands on and they got healed ~ how many souls you led in the sinner's prayer ~ how popular you were among the “church-goers” ~ how many good works you did ~ how many “Solid Gold Dancers” with streamers you had up at the front of the church ~ how big the choir was ~ how you supported ecumenism ~ how many Hollywood movies you were in before you were “saved” and “appointed by man” to be an entertaining witness to the rest of the Body of Christ out in television land, and on and on. God doesn’t care about that. He cares about us staying the course – our faces set like a flint.

For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed (Isaiah 50:7).

First of all, God can only help us if we have full trust in Him, and that, Jesus had. Sad to say, the so-called Church, this supposedly Royal Priesthood, does not have full and absolute trust in God, and does not because there is no holiness in the people. There is in today’s Church, a form of godliness but denial of God’s power. It is so because The Church never truly and completely trusted God in and with all things on account of her face not set like a flint. A flint is a hard stone or, as if to bind firmly, or pressed hard according to the Hebrew word Tsor. Jesus was pressed hard or was adamant about accomplishing the Father’s will on earth, which was to wash us from our sins in His own blood (Revelation 1:5) and to make us kings and priests unto God, His Father (Revelation 1:6; I Peter 2:5,9; Revelation 5:10). Jesus accomplished His part by laying siege to demands laid down by The Father for holiness, righteousness, and absolute obedience. Jesus, in His flesh was holy and righteous. He accomplished His part because He loved The Father so much that He wanted only to please Him by doing or following His plan of action and not giving in to persuasion and temptation outside of the plan.

Jesus was a determined opponent of unholiness and as He was, so must The Church be. God will not settle for less! Since Jesus was a determined opponent of unholiness, His face set like a flint, The Father would and did help Him and He was not confounded. There was no shame brought to Jesus for His holiness, righteousness, and obedience. There was no disgrace nor dishonor brought to Him by The Father. Royal Priesthood, Church, there is no shame or disgrace in setting our faces like a flint, getting back on the course of holiness, and remaining. HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS! Jesus was hardened to unholiness, and was our example to be hardened to unholiness. He didn’t blend into the world in any sort of way, and neither must we.

Royal Priesthood, we should be “unfeeling” toward everything that is not a part of God’s course laid down for our lives. Our course in life is holiness unto The Lord. Nothing of the world should be appealing to us, and certainly not in us. Nothing of the world should be in The Church for it taints holiness, even the minutest of the world is sin and makes The Church unholy. The worldly things make us unholy. We must stay on course with our faces set like a flint, and we will not be ashamed.

The call to holiness is for our sakes, Church. The darkness and persecution (Tribulation) that is about to rear its ugly head is going to be greater than ever before on this earth. There will be no place to hide and be secure except in the bosom of The Lord, who will not disappoint or let His people down. But, we have got to be His people first of all so that He can prepare us for this hour of Great Tribulation. What we have to remember about The Lord is: HE IS HOLY AND NOTHING UNCLEAN CAN BE NEAR HIM. Only where a holy Royal Priesthood is, will The Lord God encamp. If we are now ashamed of being associated with holiness and purity of heart, God will be ashamed of us and will deny us if we don’t repent so that He can bring us through the darkest hour ever. We must stay on course with our faces set like a flint, and we will not be ashamed.

Keep in mind, the Old Testament is a type and shadow of the New Testament. In First Chronicles, David had prepared a place for the Ark of God. “Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto Him for ever” (I Chronicles 15:2). The Levitical Priesthood of the Old Covenant was a type and shadow of The Church of the New Covenant – the new priesthood, kings and priests forever – US. Only the Levites could carry the Ark of God because they had been chosen. Chosen to do what? MINISTER UNTO GOD FOREVER. Ministering unto God is presiding over things relating to Him (e.g., praise, worship, testifying, and sharing His Law or His Word – the Bible). We are priests because God called us to holiness.

Old Testament	New Testament
Levitical Priesthood: The priests presided over things relating to God because God chose them (Exodus 28:1).	I Peter 2:5 reads to the Saints, “Ye also as livelystones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood.…” The Church is now chosen to minister unto God. With the change in the Covenant came the change in the priesthood - Christ and His Church.

The Church, the new priesthood, picks up where the old Levitical Priesthood left off, but in a very different and new way of ministration. Holy Priesthood, we are now the Ark of God that contains His testimony; we are now the tabernacle or temple in which God dwells, and WE MUST BE HOLY. We must be holy because The Divine Glory of God’s dwelling place is in our temples/bodies. In ministering to God in praise and worship, He does not want and will not receive us or inhabit our praises unless we do it according to protocol – in the “Holy” Spirit, and in righteousness and holiness. Holy Priesthood, Church, we are to minister unto God in holiness.

First Chronicles 15:26 tells us that in bringing the Ark of the Covenant of The Lord out of the house of Obededom, with joy, they offered seven bullocks and seven rams. Today, as Saints, our offering is ourselves – one’s whole self (obedient, clean, bursting with joy at always being before the Lord by having Him dwell in us “24-7”, and putting nothing or anyone before Him). Praise His Holy Name!

Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with SHOUTING, and with SOUND OF THE CORNET, and with TRUMPETS, and with CYMBALS, making a NOISE WITH PSALTERIES AND HARPS (I Chronicles 15:28).

Church, David was even DANCING before the Lord during this most joyous occasion (II Samuel 6:14). There was absolutely nothing dead about this occasion. This sounds to me like they were gladdened at being in the presence of The Lord. What about us? If we have really been baptized in Holy Ghost fire, we should be on fire for The Lord. Are we on fire – really on fire going before the Lord “24-7” since we are the temple in which He dwells? Ministering Priests, we cannot be happy before The Lord if there is sin in our lives. We can’t even get in His presence if there’s sin in our lives.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name (Psalm 100:4).

Royal Priesthood, Church of Jesus Christ, God’s not asking a whole lot of us (whose house we are; and whom we supposedly love). We ought, as well

Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing (Psalm 100:2).

clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph (Psalm 47:11).

Ministers of God! Priesthood! We are separated from all others and are called to be saintly people because we have been sanctified. As sanctified ministers, it is our duty to serve The Lord in holiness because the blood of Jesus Christ was shed for us to do so. "the blood of Christ…purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14). God is holy, and to have Him dwell in us as we minister to Him, WE MUST BE HOLY TOO!

As for Aaron, the priest’s crown of pure gold (Exodus 28:36) had engraved upon it HOLINESS TO THE LORD. New Priesthood, it should be engraved upon our crowns – our whole being, HOLINESS TO THE LORD. We are called to holiness and have been severed, that is, removed or detached from the rest of the world. We have been separated, or rent asunder from the unbelieving world. We’re different. When Satan and the world look upon our presence in the workplace, the shopping mall, at school, or wherever we are, they will know that we’re different, that we are kings and priests. They will know we’re different because they won’t see us acting out in the flesh as worldly people do.

“Acting-out” in the flesh is flesh sinning. And no, “we’re all sinners” is not Scriptural. If you’re a sinner, you’re not Born Again. If you yet call yourself a sinner, you are not a Saint – you are not a son of God’s. We were sinners before our new birth, but if we are still sinning after this new birth, we’re in a heap of trouble. Before our new birth, we had submitted ourselves to uncleanness/sin, but with our new love, Christ Jesus, we must now be one hundred percent submitted servants to righteousness/holiness. We must act toward our First Love, Jesus, as one who no longer lives for sin, but as one who lives for Him and in holiness. Royal Priesthood, we have got to be holy.

True Born Again Spirit-filled Saints, please standup! Righteousness/faith and holiness are partners and they are our partners, too. One is never found without the other and our lives must not be found without them. We are called unto holiness. The filthiness of the flesh and the spirit was in us before Christ came into our lives, and of these we should have been cleansed, and now should be at the place of sanctification - being made holy unto The Lord. It should be at this point in our lives that, with profound reverence for God, our holiness is perfected whereby we minister before The Lord with a perfect heart.

Saints, it is the sin that makes us unfit to minister before The Lord – those things in the flesh. The following unexhausted list of deeds of the flesh working as sin should not be found in the lives of ministering priests, but yet they are:

Dissension ■ Attraction to things pertaining to the flesh ■ Adultery: Betrayal of God or spouse or friend ■ Sex outside of marriage ■ Morally impure words, thoughts, actions ■ Worshipping anything or anybody other than God ■ Intense dislike toward others for any reason ■ Envious rivalry because you must always be “on top” ■ Vengeance motivated by anger ■ Bitter conflict ■ Religious opinion varying from God’s Word ■ Alcohol and drug use ■ Abusive language ■ Homosexuality and other perverted sex ■ Thievery ■ Evil thoughts ■ Covetousness/greed ■ Gluttony ■ Corruption ■ Deceitfulness ■ Irreverent utterance regarding God ■ Pride – too high an opinion of yourself; self-esteem ■ Senselessness in your behavior ■ No compassion; Unmerciful toward others ■ Implacable: Cannot be appeased or pacified ■ Stubborn ■ Ungrateful ■ Defiant ■ Always “looking out for number one” ■ Lover of pleasures - all about fun and entertainment ■ Selfishness ■ Unforgiving ■ Lying ■ Lazy ■ Fearful ■ Faithless ■ Celebrate false holidays (Sunday, Easter, and Christmas) ■ Hypocritical ■ Gossipy ■ Occult involvement - fortune-telling, horoscope reading, yoga, etc. ■ Accepting of false prophets ■ Accepting of false outpouring of the Holy Spirit ■ Accepting of Paul’s gospel over Jesus’ Gospel ■ Martial arts ■ Ecumenism ■ Anti-Israel ■ Accepting of the oneness doctrine of “Jesus name only” ■ Accepting of the seed faith doctrine ■ Accepting of the "Eternal Security" doctrine ■ Accepting of the Rapture doctrine ■ Subjugation of women in the church ■ Murder and abortion.

Those ware but a few of the current deeds of the flesh of those who are supposed to be ministering priests/Christians before The Lord God. This just should not be. There is nothing holy about these acts.

This new Priesthood must be known by their fruit (Luke 6:43-45) and it should not be the fruit of unrighteousness as in the unexhausted list above, but the fruit of righteousness. The world should be seeing in the new priesthood, HOLINESS TO THE LORD – demonstrated by sincere Love for God that spills over to all mankind ~ Faith in God whereby you believe that He is all that He says He is, and that He will do all that His Word says He’ll do ~ Humility – lowly before God and all mankind ~ Obedience – walking in life as Jesus did by abstaining from sin. This is what our sanctified vessels/temples should be demonstrating in our holy lives that were created to minister to The Lord.

As this new priesthood, we are to be sanctified vessels. “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins…For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified (Hebrews 10:11-14). Sanctified people, we have been PERFECTED FOREVER. Sanctified people, we are to perform in a specified capacity – holy and righteous before The Lord day-in and day-out because He dwells in our temples, our bodies. And he [David] appointed certain of the Levites to MINISTER before the ark of the Lord, and to record, and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel (I Chronicles 16:4). As sanctified vessels, we are to constantly thank and praise God – constantly - daily.

The sacrifices under the Old Covenant were both blood (animal) and bloodless (grain, oil, wine, incense, and salt). The sacrifices under the New Covenant ARE thanksgiving. Yes, thanksgiving!

But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving (Jonah 2:9).

Through Christ Jesus, therefore let us Offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name (Hebrews 13:15).

As priests ministering to God, our lips are to give thanks to His name continually. Royal Priesthood, Saints of God, all day-long we should give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness (Psalm 30:4). Out of God’s holiness is His goodness.

We must minister to the Living God in the beauty of holiness because (1) He sits upon the throne of His holiness as King of all the earth (Psalm 47:8); (2) He is the mountain of His holiness because He is great and greatly to be praised (Psalm 48:1); (3) His house is holiness forever because He is supreme, and that means we, His Temple, must be pure always (Psalm 93:5); and (4) He is in the courts of His holiness because His habitation is holiness and nothing unclean can come near him (Isaiah 62:9; 63:15). This Almighty God that dwells in us is holy and we, His priests, have got to be holy.

As priests, we must “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness…” (Psalm 29:2), that is, in a state of un- defilement – pure. We must go before Him in excellence for He is excellent. We must minister to The Lord in declarations of sacrifices in thanksgiving and His works in rejoicing (Psalm 107:22). If we don’t worship God in the beauty of holiness, but instead attempt to offer Him “strange fire sacrifice”, He says:

Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I WILL NOT HEAR THE MELODY OF THY VIOLS (Amos 5:23).

Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts (Amos 5:22).

In other words, Saints, Royal Priesthood, we can’t enter into God’s presence in a polluted state to offer Him thanksgiving. He’s not accepting it. God is not accepting our “Praise the Lord”, “I love You, Lord,” nor our anything else. HE REJECTS IT – HE REJECTS SIN-RIDDEN SO-CALLED CHRISTIANS.

Sacrifice is a multifaceted act in our ministering to God. There is the sacrifice of praise and the sacrifice of giving thanks (praise and thanksgiving are synonymous). When we call on His Name we are thanking Him for the simple fact that He is always there for us to call on, while at the same time praising Him for His goodness and for His wonderful works to us (Psalm 107:7). This is praise and thanks all in the same breath.

What is it to praise and worship The Lord? Why do we stress that as being a key component in ministering and or communing with God? We have to first know and accept, if He is our God, and our one and only God, then we praise and worship Him because “Thou shalt fear [reverence] the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen” (Deuteronomy 10:20-21). The great and terrible things were those miracles, signs and wonders He performed in the very presence of the Hebrews. Moses was (1) speaking to the Hebrew children then who had been delivered out of Egypt and were on their way into the “Land of Milk and Honey”; and (2) he was also speaking to us now, children of the Most High God, whom He delivered out of Egypt – THE WORLD/SIN. The deliverance for this new priesthood was when He sent His Word, Jesus, and rescued us from the grave by bring us out of darkness and into His marvelous light. Priesthood, God is justifiably our sacrificial praise. He is our God and we are to praise and worship Him who lives forever and ever.

Realize that praising in the beauty of holiness is so electrifying that one just cannot sit still. Our spirit won’t let us sit still if we’re truly walking in the spirit realm. “And the Levites…STOOD UP TO PRAISE the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high” (II Chronicles 20:19). They stood up? Yes, they stood up. God is our praise and we must stand out of reverence for Him. This is a sacrifice. Reverence The Lord God, He more than all deserve it. “stand up and bless the Lord…” (Nehemiah 9:5).

The lifting up of hands before God is humbling. It says: I need You, O, Lord ~ I’m nothing without You ~ You are the breath of life in me ~ You are my love ~ You are my righteousness ~ You are my shield of protection – my hedge from the enemy ~ You are my salvation. The lifting up of hands before God is a blessing to Him because we're elevating Him, The Most High God. “Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name” (Psalm 63:4). To bless God is an act of adoration or salute to Him and to salute God is to pay respect to Him with profound love and admiration. We bless The Lord God when we humble ourselves before Him in praise and worship with clean hands, a pure heart, and a clean mind. Stand with hands lifted and magnify The Lord – exalt His name. Don’t be ashamed of The Lord God, “bless our God…and make the voice of his praise to be heard” (Psalm 66:8). Praise while alive! “Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being” (Psalm 146:1-2).

Praise Him “Because thy [His] lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name” (Psalm 63:3-4). Those great works God has done in our lives, right before our very eyes, exemplify His lovingkindness - His tender mercy and generosity. God’s lovingkindness to mankind is a delight to Him, and our hands should thus be lifted up toward Heaven to bless Him. I said, BLESS HIM! God can and wants to be blessed by us. HE LOVES IT!

“Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God” (Psalm 147:7). This is God’s divine influence pouring out joy, liberally, in our spirits. We don’t earn this but it is given to us when we live a holy and obedient life before Him. This is ministering to The Lord our God. We should minister in song that comes from our innermost being – our spirit is so very sweet to God and acceptable by Him if our walk is holy.

In song, worship God. Adore Him! Exalt Him! Glorify Him! Hero-worship Him! Do it because of His lovingkindness toward our lives and the lives of others. Do it because when He created us, He created us to praise Him – to give Him glory. “Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven” (Psalm 148:11).

Praise is in dancing as well. In II Samuel 6:5, not only did King David and all the house of Israel play music before The Lord as they were going to get the Ark from Nachon’s threshingfloor, but down in verses 14 and 15 “David DANCED before the Lord with all his might….all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.” Priesthood, verse 16 tells us that David was leaping and dancing before The Lord, and that was because there is joy in the presence of The Lord. God is joy! God is not dead! Our praise and worship should not be dead. In the beauty of holiness, we stand before The Lord with our hands lifted while shouting praises to His Holy Name. In the beauty of holiness, we let The Holy Spirit move us, not us move The Holy Spirit. Dancing in The Holy Spirit is letting The Holy Spirit be free to move in us. No, it’s not choreographed. Don’t be afraid of being “Pentecostal” (as in the book of Acts), it’s fire – Holy Ghost fire. It’s Jesus! Let the Holy Spirit move you.

“Let them praise His name in the dance” (Psalm 149:3). “Praise Him with the timbral and dance” (Psalm 150:4). Our calling as the new priesthood is to praise Him with the sacrifice of praise. “Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely” (Psalm 147:1). Praising God is pleasant – it is a DELIGHT (great joy or pleasure in praising God). It is a delectable thing (savory; delicious) PRAISING The Lord. Unfortunately, because of sin, people think more of their favorite food as being delicious than praising God.

Giving testimony or exalting God in the congregation and before others is a priestly sacrifice. In Psalm 107, it is spoken to God’s people four times, “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men” (Psalm 107:8,15,21,31). That was not just for the Hebrews, but for all, up through time, calling themselves His children. God wants His people to brag about Him. Boast about the Lord. Let your soul boast of His goodness. Don’t be ashamed to boast about The Lord – do it while you have the breath of life in you. You can’t praise Him when you’re dead. Thus will I bless thee while I live… (Psalm 63:5).

Ministering unto God in testimony should always be as pure and undefiled vessels lifting Him up in magnificence because He is magnificent. He’s splendid! We cannot be afraid to speak His name or about His goodness because it makes someone else uncomfortable. He’s The Lord our God. If He healed you, speak about it every opportunity you get, even on the job. If you’re grateful that He woke you up this morning and started you on your way with the breath of life in you, tell it to someone – boast about His goodness. If we are ashamed of Him, He’ll be ashamed of us. Go ahead and brag about The Lord in conversation. Brag about Him! He deserves it.

When King Hezekiah was pleading for an extension on his life, he reminded God of only the living being able to praise Him when he said “For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for any truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day…” (Isaiah 38:18-19). Remember, God created you to praise Him. All that God created, great and small in class, must praise His name. “Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great” (Revelations 19:5). God’s name is excellent. It’s high – lofty, for He is The Lord God of all creation. All must praise Him because His glory is above the earth. His glory? His grandeur! His magnificence! His beauty! His comeliness! (Pleasing appearance.) His honor! (Esteem/respect/reverence.) His majesty! (Sovereign or supremacy in authority and power.) B-u-t, do it in the beauty of holiness.

Worship as in the Hebrew word shachah means to prostrate in homage to God – to humbly beseech Him and do reverence. “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (I Chronicles 16:29; Psalm 96:9). Priesthood, we must praise Him in purity and with sincerity of heart while we are alive, and must not be ashamed to boast about Him, if He is indeed our God.

When we praise The Lord, we glorify Him whom we know for His lovingkindness, just judgment, and righteousness in the earth. We must make known His deeds among the people. “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me…” (Psalm 50:23). Lift Him up! “O Lord, thou art my God; I will EXALT thee, I will PRAISE thy name; for thou has done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness [worthy of trust and belief] and truth” (Isaiah 25:1). Lift Him up from wherever you are.

When ministering before The Lord in holiness, He will show Himself pure to us (Psalm 18:26) and He will bless us. God will receive our words as pleasant (Proverbs 15:26). Our sacrifice will be pleasing before Him, but only if we’re spiritually attentively listening to His voice and obeying His commandments and it is then that He will reveal Himself to us. To experience all of this, we have got to be h-o-l-y. God’s priests are holy Praise The Lord!

With a pure heart, …sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,and declare his (God) works with rejoicing (Psalm 107:22).