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In The Garden Daily Devotional
Palm Sunday Message LIVES
"Ark of The Covenant FOUND!"
Pastor Wayne Clabaugh
Scripture Text:"And the multitudes that went
before, and that
followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of
David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the
Lord; Hosanna in the highest." Matt21:9 "(KJV)
It doesn't matter what the WORLD is doing
right now and believe me it doesn't look good...
God is in control and He is not going to allow
the enemy to destroy His people.
"Yeah.. sure Brother Wayne: nice rhetoric,
but take a look around."
I'm looking and I don't like the things I see
either - but have you ever taken the time to
read PSALM 118 all the way through? You've GOT
TO DO THAT!
What many of us are not seeing is that much of
what is taking place is Prophetic. The reason
why there has not yet been a rapture is that
when the Christians are gone - this world is
going to be pretty much "TOAST". Look at what's
going on now and how swiftly! Without The
Christians here on this Earth, what we're
experiencing now is pretty much going to look
good to whoever's left after the Rapture. ALL
HELL WILL BREAKOUT THEN, and the only help the
Bible tells us is those who claim the blood of
the Lamb and stand on the WORD and not give in.
We have seen in the last couple of devotionals a
sort of box being shaped with the protection of
the saints of God saying,
"Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that
cometh in the name of the Lord" as
they cast down their palm branches before Him
and the protection of those who are following
behind The Lord crying,
"Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he
that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in
the highest." What WAS that? What was
it that they were doing? They were testifying
that HE - JESUS CHRIST, WAS THE MESSIAH, the
GREAT PROTECTOR; not just the Son of David
but also the SON OF THE LIVING GOD! He had come
in their minds to rescue them and to deliver
them and to their way of thinking there was
nothing that ROME or anyone could do to them
now. THE MESSIAH HAD COME!!!
DO you see the beginning of a little box
beginning to form here? We have the Testimony
to The Name of The Lord in the Front - and
on both sides really as they surrounded him
there on the way; we have Testimony to The
Name of The Lord bringing up the rear with
acclamations that Jesus WAS The CHRIST - THE
MESSIAH THAT HAD COME TO DELIVER THEM... and
there in the center you have "the Godman"
who had the power to call this whole thing off
if He wanted to and yet He CHOSE to LAY
DOWN HIS LIFE for the sins of all mankind. As
for the box, someone has said that every Angel
of heaven was on alert for the command to be
given, and they would have destroyed the
world to set Him free - so I can see them
hovering over the top of the proceedings taking
place there that day.
But I want here, to take this box and try if I
might, to bring a different light upon it.
It is my belief that the reason why the Ark
of The Covenant - despite the best efforts
of Hollywood and Indiana Jones... has never been
found because JESUS BECAME the Sacrifice.
The Altar of His sacrifice was an old rugged
tree erected on what we have longed called the
Hill called Calvary. (Hill of the Skull -
Golgatha)
But, this Easter Season, I would like to take a
different look at the real ARK of The COVENANT -
and what it means to not just you and I as
Christians - but to the WORLD as a whole.
No one with an evangelistic mind, would ever
want to put Jesus in a box. But we do that every
day. It's not a box of our own making but it is
a box that is formed by the world to keep Him in
His place. They say, He's not to be a part of
the Classroom and that He's not to be a part of
the board room or the Whitehouse. They say that
He has a place in the church and that's where He
belongs. Pastors can say anything they want to
about Him there - but they dare not take Him
with them to the school house nor to the bus
stop or anywhere where there is a possibility
that HE would "offend" someone of another Faith.
Yet The Bible tells us that
"'We' are the
light of the world! A city that is set on an
hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a
candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a
candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that
are in the house." Mat 5:14,15 (KJV)
Throughout the History of Mankind God has spoken
to the hearts of men and women to come into
covenant with Him. In Genesis 12, Abraham was
led by God out of the Land of UR to a place that
God would tell him. In Genesis 15, God specified
the vastness of that land to him and told him
once again that his seed (offspring) would be
like the sand of the seashore. In Genesis 17
Abraham made a covenant of circumcision with God
to mark his people with an everlasting covenant
between God and man - a cutting away of
the flesh. We could go on speaking of other
covenants between God and man - but because of
time - I want to quickly jump to the coming of
Christ who was the fulfillment of the Law of
Abraham and Moses. When Jesus came there was no
further need for sacrifice because Jesus gave
his life "once for all", (ref. Hebrews 10:10)
When Jesus came He confirmed the covenant of
righteousness by faith when He said:
"For God so loved the
world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life." John 3:16 (KJV)
But he went on
to make another covenant in the way of what has been
termed "The Great Commission" when He said,
"And he said unto them, Go ye
into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In
my name shall they cast out devils; they shall
speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents;
and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not
hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and
they shall recover." Mar 16:15-18 (KJV)
But while the disciples could not go before and
behind Him as was done on the day of His Triumphal
entry into Jerusalem on what we hail as Palm
Sunday... they did by the Power of The Spirit on the
Day of Pentecost when they were endued with power
from on High. In fact Jesus spoke of this when he
said...
"And I will pray the
Father, and he shall give you another Comforter,
that he may abide with you for ever;"
John 14:16 (KJV)
This was a covenant that he was making with not only
the disciples but with all mankind who would
believe in Him.
What I am trying to say here is simple. You and I
are the NEW ARK OF THE COVENANT! We are the ones
that by our testimony to come and our testimony from
the past lay the groundwork for the coming King. You
and I are the vessel that now transports all
that is holy and all that is powerful for Jesus
said... John 14:
"Verily, verily, I say unto
you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do
shall he do also; and greater works than these shall
he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever
ye shall ask in my Name, that will I do, that the
Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask
any thing in my name, I will do it." John
14:12-14 (KJV)
You know what's interesting is that the WORLD KNOWS
that we are the bearers of the POWER and TESTIMONY
OF THE LORD and they are trying to do all that they
can to destroy us and to wipe us off the face of the
earth and to HIDE THAT TESTIMONY that went before
and rings true long after we have come and gone -
because it is the altar of man. It is a Moving cross
"so-to-speak" that by the WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY
convicts men of their sin and drives them to their
knees to say, "My LORD AND MY GOD!"
YOU HAVE THAT POWER TODAY AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW
IT! You are the ARK OF THE COVENANT OF EVANGELISM
and you can allow yourself to be "taken", or you can
get back to the WORD and know your place in God. I'm
telling you today my friends that all of the demons
of Hell cannot come against you and I today if we
remember who we are in Christ.
But just as the Ark of old had specific design and
specific means of being transported form one place
to another, so we must carry ourselves in such a way
that we do not offend but that we stand our ground.
We must remember that just as our forefathers began
each day in prayer for this nation, that we too must
do the same in righteousness and holiness and to
never allow hatred to steal it's way inside and
drive a wedge between our covenant and God. We must
seek to know God's will not just for our nation but
for us on a personal level every day, and then do as
He says - remembering that we are that Moving Cross
of deliverance - not by any accreditation of our own
- but it has to do with the covenant - not just the
constitution; and as soon as our leaders on both
sides of the house find that out, they will see that
there is no constitution without covenant.
Let's pray.
Father: If ever this world needed you it is now. We
are swiftly heading for the deep and dark abyss of
no return as we seek to be men who are right instead
of men who are righteous. Come Lord Jesus and speak
to every man, woman, boy and girl who loves you
today and call them to repentance. Fill them with
your Spirit O Lord and set them on fire as in the
days of old and may the REVIVAL of JOEL Chapter 2
spring forth today and bring a harvest of souls that
would hasten your coming. We have chosen today to
not just be hearers of the WORD - but we have chosen
to occupy on HIGH ALERT until you come. In Jesus'
Name, Amen.
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