The Revelation Series - Clothed with a Garment Down to His Feet III

Clothed with a Garment down to His Feet III As we look into the Book of Revelation let us turn our hearts to the encounter of the Person of the Book, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Often, I believe we want to simply understand what the Book means and not come to the encounter of Him.  This is so impressed in my heart that we encounter Christ.  This is what John saw when He TURNED to SEE the VOICE, He saw the encounter of ONE in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.  In the seven golden candlesticks, the seven churches of Asia, is the Son of Man clothed with a garment down to His feet, with a golden girdle around His chest.  His hair is white as wool.  His feet as burning brass.  His eyes as a flaming fire.  A countenance bright as the sun, and a two-edged sword coming out of His mouth.  I believe every aspect of His description is to be encountered by the Church.  This was not only for the seven churches that was in Asia, but for the church as a whole.  This is an ongoing encounter of Him that we have as His body.  And it is this encounter that we become the Minister’s of.  We are not minister’s simply of the written word, but of the Person of the Word, who we encounter in our walk with God. This is my heart as a Minister of the Gospel, to bring a people to the encounter of Jesus Christ.  Yes, I want to understand the Bible, every word of it, but not just be a great teacher or theologian, I want to be a minister of the Encounter of Him! The Apostle Peter writes we are built up a spiritual house, a Holy Priesthood.  This word holy means sacred, consecrated, or pure.  Notice the church is called a priesthood.  As we explore this, we have to explore Him.  In Hebrews 7, the Bible declares that Jesus is a Priest after the order of Melchizedek, or the order of an endless life.  This Chapter declares this Priesthood has been changed from the order of Aaron or the Old Covenant Priesthood.  It also declares that if the Priesthood was changed it was necessary for the law to have been changed as well.  Now as we are called a Holy Priesthood, the Holy Priesthood is after the order of Christ. This Priesthood ministers a better hope where we come into the presence of God and live.  Hebrews 7:19 “For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.”  In this Hope that is ministered by our High Priest we find perfection or wholeness.  The law could never bring us there, but this better hope in Christ does.  “You are complete in Him.”  Hebrews 10 declares one sacrifice perfected those who are sanctified.  We are sanctified through the offering of the Body of Christ. We as a Holy Priesthood come to an understanding of His work and are clothed upon of His work to minister the completion of His work to His Body the church.  We offer up spiritual sacrifices through the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, through the understanding of His finished work and not through the Old Covenant.  In Christ the Priesthood has changed and we are ministering from an understanding that brings His people into perfection and wholeness.  The Law never could do this.  It could only point to the presence of God, where the perfection or completing is at, but could never allow entrance. Through the law and the Levitical Priesthood was continual remembrance of sins.  This I am afraid is sounded in Christian gatherings every week, the continual remembrance of sins.  There is a persistent declaration of a people who have not yet come to completion.  However, this is not true.  The Priesthood of Christ brings many sons to glory, and is declaring perfection, the perfection He brought forth through His death, burial, and resurrection.  “You are a holy nation, a royal priesthood.”  A Priesthood of Him that is holy and sacred through the work He did!  Let us go out from the gate of the Old Covenant and Minister the work of Christ who was offered outside of the gate of the Law, who brought perfection and everlasting life to light!  Glory to God!