#482 – The Ultimate Ministry That Is Still A Mystery

Over the years I have met just a few men and women who I knew were special people and real servants of God. For some reason you knew they were uniquely different but it was a mystery why they seemed that way. One day I perceived that their unique quality was that they were only concerned about fulfilling God’s Purpose and acting in His interests and doing His will. These were authentic servants of God and servants that were always acting in God’s best interest. I am not sure now if they were real people that had these unique qualities. I am not sure I could identify them by name. It might be that the qualities are just a composite of several people or maybe just my imagination and prototype of what I wanted to become.

In the Old Testament such composite persons might be the Priests, the sons of Zadok. The sons of Zadok are described in one vein or another in 51 different verses or paragraphs. We could point out that God elevated or promoted Zadok from just being an ordinary priest to the position of High Priest and removed the priesthood from the line of Ithamar (one of Aaron’s sons and assigned the priesthood to the line of Eleazar, the other son of Aaron who both had access to the priesthood.) However, because of the disgraceful conduct of Eli’s sons, the priesthood was removed from Ithamar’s descendants and given to Zadok and his descendants.) . While the name Zadok means “righteous” we don’t know much more about the person or persons. For that reason I am using Zadok as a composite ministry that God accepts to function in His Manifest Presence.

1Kin 2:27 So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being priest to the LORD, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD, which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

1Kin 2:35 And the king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in his place, and the king appointed Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.

This change in priesthood actually happened more than 80 years after Eli and his sons perverted and corrupted the Outer Court ministry. This example reveals how they dishonored God by how they treated the sacrifices and offerings. We remember how some of the TV ministries recently did the same thing.

Since these former things are given to us as examples, we may assume that there are spiritual applications that can be made using these examples. Since we are always focusing upon a Kingdom of Priests after the Order of Melchizedek, all of these examples of priests may be helpful in determining what God will accept and what He will reject. Of course the modern gospel assures us that God must accept anyone into the kingdom of priests who has accepted Jesus as personal Savior. We have tried to expose this lie for many years.

The Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek is an eternal priesthood who are Priests of the Most High God and stand before Him to minister to Him. Melchizedek was a priest of the Most High God and also the King of Salem. We may assume that there is a real fulfillment Priesthood today ( invisible some place) of the ministry of the Sons of Zadok. However, now it MUST be after the Order of Melchizedek and NOT after the order of Aaron / Eleazar.

Nevertheless, this ministry today must be elevated into the realms of New Covenant reality. Even in the days of the sons of Zadok there was still no access into the Most Holy Place. The Living and Abiding Word of God was not available to indwell them. The Indwelling Holy Spirit was not yet given until Pentecost many years later. The Sons of Zadok were limited by the flesh and they were still part of the first Adam. Therefore, what God has provided for us through the New Covenant should elevate all real Priesthood Ministry into much, much higher realms of reality than the sons of Zadok. The sons of Zadok, as a composite priesthood, are examples of what we are referring to as “the Sons of the High Priest” in the New Covenant realm. These higher realms of reality are what we are referring to as the “Ultimate Ministry.”

Rom 15:15 But I have written very boldly to you on some points, so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, that my offering of the Gentiles might become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul was now ministering as a priest but not after the order of Aaron which is the Old Covenant but after the Order of Melchizedek, which is New Covenant.

Let us not forget that ALL ministry within the New Covenant is limited to the New Covenant Priesthood. Let us reconfirm that there is NO priesthood today EXCEPT after the Order of Melchizedek. Because this is the Ultimate and Eternal Priesthood, it is essential to understand IF we have even begun in its preparation. For example; Even after we have begun (as neophytes) in this Eternal Priesthood there are various functions connected to this Priesthood that we know nothing about. Since this Eternal Priesthood is now designed to become a Kingdom of Priests or an Eternal Government of Priests, it should be obvious that much preparation is essential AFTER the basic preparation in the Outer Court. For that reason the simple example of the Gold Table of Showbread or the pure Gold Lampstand or the Gold Altar of Incense and even the Veils must be elevated many times and multiplied to the realms of reality just to give a little insight into this realm of the Ultimate Ministry.

My concern today is that too many years have been wasted as we just focused upon a few of the Outer Court preparations. Not only have some treated the Outer Court Preparations as unimportant because of Calvary but many others have stopped the preparations before all seven were completed as Life giving experiences. This lack of understanding has even corrupted the few Outer Court Preparations that have been acknowledged as valid. Since each of the Outer Court preparations have both an outward preparation and inward preparation (in the new inner man), to ignore any of these preparations will limit our growth and development. This will limit our ability to fulfill what God purposed for Himself before the world was.

Of course we must just guess at what the “Ultimate Ministry” really is so at the present time we must use this term as an abstraction. Even though we are guessing at the details and they are still abstract, we may recognize some basic “prophetic” reality. Each of us may check to see if there is some inner witness to their reality.

1Pet 2:4 And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1Pet 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

We can confirm that “His marvelous light” is Not in the Outer Court because that area is only illuminated by natural light. We can also confirm that this “marvelous light” is only available to the Holy Priesthood. From this scripture we can identify this group as “living stones” that are being built up into a spiritual house. This “spiritual house” is also a Holy Priesthood. These are not volunteers but a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people that have becomes God’s own possession in order to enable them to proclaim His excellencies.

Heb 7:15 And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of Him, “THOU ART A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.”

Let us take the example of Zadok who was promoted to the Ultimate Ministry in his day, under the Old Covenant, because of his faithfulness to God and because he had certain personal characteristics that pleased God. One priest was rejected and another priest took his place. Not only that but the priesthood of the line of Zadok continued for many years. It is through Zadok that we learn about priesthood of the sons of Zadok. Zadok was appointed High Priest and the former high priest was removed. This is surely a picture of what happened at Calvary. But now Jesus has become our High Priest after the Order of Melchizedek and the priesthood after the order of Aaron has been done away with. Now, of course we are focusing upon the Sons of the High Priest who must also now become Priests after the Order of Melchizedek.

Melchizedek Priesthood is not primarily an earthly ministry of serving people and calling it serving God. This is a ministry devoted wholly to God to do His will and bring joy to His heart. If it is God’s will to serve the people then that is also serving God by serving the people! However, serving the people is not arbitrary. Only He who ascended far above the heavens has the right, the authority, and the power to appoint His ministries for the Church He is Building. Pastoring a church is not based upon a random choice or a personal whim. Pastoring is NOT a profession that we can choose among many professions. We are not “ministers” so we can be autocratic leaders.

However, in the Holy Place Life and Ministry there is an official authority, power and dominion in His Name to complete the service that He has ordained. There is no official but arbitrary authority in the Church He is Building! When we speak about these necessary elements of the ministry “for God and His purpose,” we need to add another qualification. There must be a Life- Union with Christ Jesus if we are to function “in His Church” in His behalf. I am speculating that joined to the Lord in one Spirit is NOT the same as living in a Life-Union with Him. However, joined to the Lord in One Life AND One Spirit will be considered normal in that dimension.

My point is this; Making the transition from the Outer Court to the Holy Place is much more than changing positions. This is not just moving closer to the Lord but is moving into a Life-Union with the Lord. This function is NOT as servants but as Sons. This is why there is no eternal church in the Outer Court realm. The real body (in the Holy Place realm) is of the exact same Life, ZOE, and of the exact same Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, that is in the Head!

John 15:14 “You are My friends, if you do what I command you. 15 “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.

The word Jesus uses for “slave” is “Doulos.” This is the same word in Revelation 22 that is translated as Bond-Servants. The KJV calls this servants but that is a bad translation of “doulos.” Revelation 22 in the NASB is correct translation and they are identified in their correct position in Eternity.

Rev 22:3 And there shall no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants shall serve Him; 4 and they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 And there shall no longer be any night; and they shall not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall illumine them; and they shall reign forever and ever.

Even though Revelation 22 may seem rather abstract it is surely clear that this must be close to the “Ultimate Ministry.” This does not mention anything about serving people and calling it serving God. The Lord God, Himself, shall Illumine them. This inner illumination is what I am calling a Life-Union with God.

It may be true that “friends” who do what I command you will know what the Master is doing can speak for the Master. This is one level of true ministry and is certainly valid. When we speak of the “Ultimate Ministry” we are referring to the next level of ministry. In this level of ministry we may be able to EXPRESS the Father and demonstrate His attributes.

John 14:7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” 8 Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.

Jesus was very certain that He was expressing the Father in such a degree that if they saw Him they had seen the Father. This is what we are identifying as the “Ultimate Ministry.” When the Father, abiding in us, expressing Himself, speaks through us and does His works we have reached the perfect goal of ministry! To be able to demonstrate outwardly this eternal God and Express the indwelling God, we have reached what I am calling the “Ultimate Ministry.” “The Father abiding in Me does His works” is the Ultimate Works!

Neither sacrifices and offerings nor the blood of bulls and goats were something God ever wanted from His people or His ministries! I am guessing that God wants us to touch the Eternal Realities of these things in their fulfillment. Why? Not just so we can share that knowledge and reveal those mysteries but so we can actually manifest and reveal Christ. I am guessing that by revealing Christ, the Eternal and Living Word of God, we will also be revealing the Father. He who has seen the Living Word has seen the Father of that Word. Why? They are one God! Of course this “revealing” is not in the visible realm but in the invisible realms. If we stand in the Outer Court and pray and fast and keep on asking Jesus to reveal the Father I am speculating that it will not happen. Why? Because this revelation is not given in the Outer Court dimension but ONLY in the Holy Place realm. He is NOT withholding the revelation but He is calling us to that ascension place and into that realm where these mysteries can be revealed. The Outer Court Preparation is designed so that these revelations will not destroy us by filling us with pride and personal ego!

In the Holy Place Life and Ministry we are called to EXPRESS outwardly what has been imparted to us inwardly. John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.

John 17:22 “And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me.

In the Outer Court function all “ministry” is measured by action. Being busy and doing, doing, doing. Killing the sacrifices, carrying wood for the fire, carrying water for the laver and washing the sacrifices, carrying out the ashes and keeping everything in order. In that dimension we want God to use us as He would a tool. We want to be like a saw in the Master’s hand. Our prayer is God use us to do your will. We can actually be so busy that our function becomes just mechanical. Our function is just outward, superficial and neutral. We want to win souls to save them from hell and to add them to our group. Our purpose is to complete an outward objective goal such as evangelism. We hear preaching in that mode with great zeal but without Life. In my opinion God never meant His ministers to function in that way. Nevertheless, that is how I began to function 41 years ago. No one explained to me any other dimension of ministry.

After nearly wasting 30 years of my life in that realm of superficial ministry I began to discern the difference between ministering facts, information and doctrines and ministering Spirit and Life. One day I understood the difference between worship and function!

John 4:23 A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers. 24 God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality). AMP

Is it really true that God is not seeking workers but worshipers? Maybe God is primarily seeking worshipers whom He can send out as workers. Is it really true that true worship is in spirit and truth and is NOT about music and drums? I am speculating that the level of worship in the Outer Court through sacrifices is quite shallow compared with the Holy Place worship in spirit and reality.

It seems obvious that to worship in spirit and truth or reality must come from the new inner man and from that Holy Place dimension rather than by the outward man jumping, running, dancing and shouting. We are not criticizing that method of Outer Court worship but just pointing out there is a higher calling.

This higher calling is also recognized as the fulness of ministry FROM the Holy Place reality. The Holy Place represents a much more intense and expressive Life, Spirit, Truth, Reality measure of ministry in which people recognize the Father as present reality. This is NOT about IF we are going to serve the Lord or not because that is never given as an option in the New Covenant. Every redeemed person, who was purchased by the precious blood of Jesus, were purchased with a price so they are no longer their own. They must serve the Master 6 years with double the service of a hired man before there is A real POSSIBILITY OF “freedom.”

Deut 15:12 “If your kinsman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, then he shall serve you six years, but in the seventh year you shall set him free. 13 “And when you set him free, you shall not send him away empty-handed.

Deut 15:18 “It shall not seem hard to you when you set him free, for he has given you six years with double the service of a hired man; so the LORD your God will bless you in whatever you do.

Even though EVERYONE ( who is genuinely redeemed) is required to serve the Lord for six years, ( not literal but for a lifetime) it may be acceptable to just serve the Lord in the Outer Court. At least that appears to be the predominate ministry today. Nevertheless, there is a higher ministry available to anyone who has the genuine experience of the seven Outer Court foundations. In this next dimension of ministry our calling is to manifest Christ by expressing what He, Himself, is, the Living and Abiding Word of God. In this realm, if people see these Holy Place ministers, they have seen Christ in His experiential Reality. Having truly eaten of the Showbread they can now reveal, manifest and demonstrate Christ, the Living and Abiding Word of God.

What one experience can we point to in the Holy Place that reveals this reality of manifesting Christ? The eating of the Showbread which is the Living and Abiding Word of God. This is the bread that came down out of heaven to give life to all those who are qualified to eat of John 6.

Eating of the Showbread is the source of expressing the Showbread as Life, Spirit, Truth and Reality. Expressing the Showbread is manifesting the Living and Abiding Word of God and revealing Christ.

There are 5 main words that are translated as Showbread and by translating these words can get an idea what Eating the Showbread means. Our thesis is this; By eating the Showbread we can become what we eat or the Showbread becomes the actual source of the Life that is held within the Showbread. This Life is the source of EXPRESSING and manifesting the Showbread which is Christ, the Living and Abiding Word of God! These are the Hebrew words translated as Showbread.

(1) Hebrew “Lechem” which means “to consume, to feed upon, to eat.”

(2) Hebrew “M`areketh” which means “To arrange in a row or stack up, orderly.”

(3) Hebrew “Paniym” which means “ The Face, the Countenance, to enquire from, seek.”

(4) Hebrew “Artios” which means “fresh , complete, whole.”

(5) Hebrew “ Prothesis” which means “ A setting before, to set before God.”

In the New Testament it is called in Mat 12:4 “The Consecrated Bread” —

MAT 12:3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did, when he became hungry, he and his companions; 4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests alone?

Jesus was asking the religious leaders about David eating the Showbread and how that could be. This presented a tremendous problem because only the consecrated priests could eat that bread. But David ate and also gave to his men to eat and yet they were not struck down. Each time this bread is mentioned, the mystery is unveiled and mystery is exposed a little more. From what Jesus said about the Showbread we know there must be a New Covenant revelation for us. David and his men are prophetic and tell us what God’s plan is under the New Covenant. This opens to us the possibility and the opportunity to eat of the Showbread. It also shows us that the Priesthood would be changed to include all believers who will permit themselves to be fully prepared.

Now the Showbread, under the Old Covenant, was in the Holy Place along with the Lampstand and the Altar of Incense. Only certain priests who were of the family of Aaron and his sons who were consecrated could enter into the Holy Place. None of the other priests who were Levites could enter there. Each priest that could enter and serve in the Holy Place (1) had to be circumcised, (2) had their sins handled by the blood, (3) removed their old garments, (4) been washed in the laver, (5) clothed with new garments, (6) anointed with oil and (7) fully consecrated. These all speak of the basic foundations and the first principles of our experience with Christ. Rather than just being doctrines we learn, each of these “types” are a revelation of “our experiences in Christ” that are the foundations of the Christian Life and preparations for the next dimension of ministry. Now in this study we would like to take this a step further and say eating of this showbread is the source of Expressing Christ to the world that the world might know, having witnessed the reality of “Christ in us”rather than just a doctrine about Christ.

John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” [6:48] I am the bread of life.

Since we have a fixed revelation, we can’t deviate from it. When we are speaking about the bread of God, we are speaking about the Living and Abiding Word of God, made flesh, and manifested by the Lord Jesus Christ. The priests had to eat the Showbread. In this same way, Jesus said My flesh is true food. Unless you eat my flesh and drink My blood there is no life in you. The whole issue of eating Christ is a matter of LIFE. To ascribe this to the Lord’s Table or COMMUNION is too shallow. What the priests ate was the Showbread.

By research we discover this particular bread is called by several different names. It is called “the bread of the face”, “ the bread of the presence” ,” the continual bread “, “ the bread of ordering “, “ the consecrated bread “,” the Holy bread “. References are found in EXO 25:23-30, EXO 35:13, NUM 4:7, 1CHR 9:32, 1SAM 21:3-6, LEV 24:1;9, Mat 12:3-4, Heb 9:2 (called “the sacred bread”).

From our word study we can combine the various word meanings to form a phrase that will contain a composite of all the meanings. We can now say: “We must appear before His presence with great reverence, to inquire of Him personally, and to meet at His mouth to see what He will say to us, to meet with Him face to face to hear His voice and receive our food and feed on Him.”

This holds to the New Testament revelation of the Living and Abiding Word of God, who is the Bread of Life manifested by the Lord Jesus Christ. It also combines the Old Testament facts concerning the Showbread. Together this phrase adds details that are much clearer than the term “Showbread”. It is now clear that the “Showbread” speaks to us of a personal encounter with the LIVING WORD OF GOD. That as we meet at His mouth we will hear His voice. In His presence we may eat of Him, receive our food and experience eternal life. It is at the Showbread that we hear the RHEMA of God. The now word, the living word and the voice of God. It is here that we receive our spiritual food for the new inner man. Now we have an altar from which we can eat that the former priesthood had no right to eat.

However, that requires a personal encounter with God, in the person of Jesus Christ, the Word Of God, Himself, to secure your own food directly from the source of eternal life. Too many are satisfied to just be fed by someone else. Many are satisfied with just milk and not solid food. Many stop in their walk before they can participate in the Holy Place life and ministry. So many are satisfied functioning in the outer court ministries simply because they don’t know anything more is available to them. For the New Covenant Christian, the Holy Place Life and Ministry is extremely normal and functioning as a Priest after the Order of Melchizedek is extremely normal.

The question I am asked is this; How can we discern when a “God given ministry” begins to move into these invisible dimensions? My speculation and answer is this; We can identify this change because the ministry is no longer earth centered, things centered, man centered or “me” centered. The ego has been conquered. Their ministry can be identified clearly as wholly God centered. They begin to focus upon a new Eternity Center. They begin to get “purpose centered.” That means they are more and more concerned about what God purposed for Himself before the world was. They feel a certain burden because the church system has no concern for God or what He intended to receive for Himself from His creation. The Outer Court ministries are only concerned for what God can do for them.

All this inward Life, ministry and revelation is set in opposition to an outward church system which demands some outward performance from their “minister” to be accepted. They have no respect or concern for the inward Life and its manifestation in ministry. In fact we see the “church system” in some places praying and asking God to remove the very ministry that God has set there for their growth. Why? Because the inward Life, Spirit, Truth and Reality produces a Ministry that is offensive to the outward Christian whose focus is upon the earth / temporal dimension and they will refuse that message.

Can you identify your definition of an outward Christian? Yes! We may find a Christian that has accurately surrendered to all seven Outer Court preparations as an outward action in the visible realm. Nevertheless, they have received such a shallow life changing and transforming experience in each of the seven preparations that they can only relate to the outward life and to visible things. The actual transformation does not come just because of some outward action of obedience like baptism in water. If there is no life changing birth and an inner transformation taking place in each of these seven Outer Court preparations, there is NO inner life development and no inner reality that has been experienced. It is these seven Outer Court Transformations in the Inner Man, which prepares us for the invisible realm that is the basic foundation for the Holy Place Life and Ministry! When these seven authentic Outer Court preparations are lacking, the Holy Place Life and Ministry is just a fantasy. We may minister the cliches, facts, information and doctrines but NOT the Life, Spirit, Truth, Revelation or, Reality of the Showbread!

To express Christ, the Living and Abiding Word of God, who is the expression of the Father, is what I am indicating is the Ultimate Ministry! Obviously, we will not be able to express and manifest Christ until Christ is formed in us. I am speculating that this experience of growth, development and maturity is related to eating the Showbread.

Gal 4:19 My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you –

Paul is presenting this idea of “Christ being formed in us” as the normal Christian life and not as something unusual or spectacular or related to certain ministries. He is presenting this as universal and for each believer!

To express and minister the charismatic personality of the outward man as a substitute for expressing and ministering Christ from an inward Life / Reality is the defining difference between these two kinds of modern ministries. One talks about Christ, the Living and Abiding Word of God and the other expresses and manifests the indwelling Christ and permits Christ to speak from that dimension of the Living and Abiding Word of God, within. One can talk about Christ in facts, information and knowledge but the other can minister Christ by expressing the Life, Spirit, Truth and Reality inherent within the Living Word of God.

This what we are calling the “ultimate ministry.”