FASTING REASONS FOR FASTING (2019) DAY EIGHTEEN

IN CHRIST, I AM A WITNESS

You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.” 1 Peter 2:5, 9

In the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, when the High Priest presented the sacrifice, he did not atone for the sins of the people. God did! The responsibility of the High Priest was simply to obey God and offer the sacrifice. When you experience the Christian life from the perspective of the Holy of Holies, your responsibility is to obey. As a high priest, our responsibility is to present ourselves daily as a living sacrifice unto God. Like Isaiah, we say, “Here I am, send me!” (Isaiah 6:8) How do we obey? We obey by proclaiming the praises of Him who called us out of darkness. As high priests, we are His witnesses to the world. As we go, we are to share with an unbelieving world what the Lord has done for us. (Matthew 28:18-20) We share the good news and the Lord is the one who atones for their sins. He is the one who redeems them and gives them eternal life. The evidence that you know you are seated with Christ in the Holy of Holies is by your willingness and effectiveness to share the gospel with unbelievers. It is supernaturally natural to witness for Jesus when you dwell with Him.

As high priests, charged with the task of proclaiming His praises, we must understand several important truths.

• First, as witnesses, who dwell with Christ in the Holy of Holies, our lives are always on display. Just as it was obvious from the High Priest’s clothes that he was a servant of God, people should and will know you belong to Christ, not by what you wear as much as how you act. An unbelieving world can tell the difference.
• Second, when you dwell with Christ, as a witness, you have the spiritual insight to recognize and discern where an unbeliever is in their spiritual journey. Have they reached Solomon’s Porch, the Court of the Gentiles, the Court of the Women, the Court of Israel, or the Court of the Priests? The goal of a witness is to meet and discern where a person is so they can ultimately be ushered, by the Holy Spirit, into the presence of Almighty God in the inner sanctuary, and there, experience His atoning grace.
• Third, the ability to witness, with a supernatural anointing, in such a manner as to be pleasing unto the Lord can only be accomplished from the Holy of Holies. You can witness, do what is right, but do it the wrong way. You will know what to do and when to do it. If the soil of an unbeliever’s heart needs cultivating, that is what you will do. If your life is ready to receive the seed of God’s Word, then that is what you will do. If the seed needs water, then you will pour water on the soil. If the harvest is apparent, then you will assist the Lord in reaping.
• Fourth, witnessing from the perspective of the Holy of Holies allows the Christ follower’s words to compliment his life, not contradict it. An unbeliever will not say “No” to Jesus because your words do not match your ways. The life you live in the dwelling place of the MostHigh God is convicting and contagious to an unbeliever who is drawn to God.
• Fifth, when the high priest came out of the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, the people knew he had been with Jesus. When you dwell with Christ in the Holy of Holies, an unbelieving world will know you have been with Jesus by the way you act and speak. They will sense the anointing because you speak as one who has authority.
• Sixth, a witness who dwells with Jesus understands the Great Commission. You know you are going into all the world every day; therefore, you are always looking for opportunities to share the good news of Jesus.

Where is your dwelling place? Is it in the Holy of Holies with Jesus? If so, then you admit you are sharing the love of Jesus on a regular basis. If not, the answer is not to try harder or attend a seminar to learn how to share the gospel. The answer is to dwell with the Lord in His Holy Place. If you will return to your rightful place in Christ and obey, He will anoint and speak through you so He can apply His atoning blood to someone who desperately needs His grace. Get ready! The field is white and the labourers are few!