"Priestly Duties"

Exodus 30:7-8

  7 "Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn
fragrant incense on the altar.
  8 And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn
incense in the Lord's presence. This must be done from generation to
generation.


In these scriptures we are familiarized with Aaron, the high priest, the
Man of God, the representation of the people, the pastor if you may.
These are the duties that were required of him. In the book of
Revelation we read that lamps in heaven represent the Churches (2:20)
and the fragrant incense before the throne of God are the prayers of
believers (5:8).

Realizing these insights of scripture and applying it to todays Men of
God, representations for the people, todays pastors, it distinguishes
their duties; each morning maintain the lamps (churches), he must burn
fragrant offerings (prayers) on the altar and each evening when he
lights the lamps (when it's time for church service), he must again burn
incense in the Lord's presence (bring prayers) [in the Lord's presence =
where ever two or more are present - gathering of the saints].

This is the task for all pastors to seek the Lord in the mornings and
evenings for the sake of the churches. God purposely set a priest as the
intercessor to bring the incense before his altar! It is the Priestly
Duty of the representation to maintain the church through prayer morning
and evening.

Lord help me fulfill my priestly duties to all that you oblige.

"Take it Outside"

Exodus 29:14 Then take the rest of the bull, including its hide, meat,

and dung, and burn it outside the camp as a sin offering.

Churches are filled with people who bring their meaty ideas and dung
into the church! It's true, come just as you are 'for an unbeliever' but for
the person who has received salvation, redemption, atonement in Christ
they need to take care of their sin offerings outside of the church before
coming before God in order to enter into true worship.

The scripture before this one reads:
      'Take all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of
       the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat around them, and burn it all
       on the altar'
The sacrifice that God wants from His people, His believers, is not
that of sin, but rather that of a FULL surrender to Him. He wants all
that is within us to be offered at his altar for the purpose of being
used for His Glory!

A religious mindset will cause those who claim residency with Christ
to keep placing sin offerings at his altar. Always continuing in sin or
living a life of sin, but coming back to every service crying out to God
for forgiveness knowing they're going to go back out and do it again is
not true repentance.

The greatest offering we can give to God is ourselves; everything within
us! Believers need to take their sin offerings outside to deal with them
and pray at home, get right with God BEFORE coming into His place of
worship.

Let's stop offering our hide, our meatiness, our dung and take it
outside! Let's offer God what is right. What is due to Him ... our
inmost parts.