In this sermon, the speaker shares his personal journey of spiritual ups and downs before discovering a series of tapes by an American speaker. Despite initially being put off by the speaker's accent, the speaker continued to listen and was inspired by the speaker's description of his own spiritual struggle and transformation. The speaker emphasizes the importance of accessing the holiest place and living consistently and consciously from that place. He also highlights the significance of faith coming from hearing the word of God. The speaker then poses the question of whether this understanding is merely poetic or an actual provision from God for believers with full assurance of faith. He encourages believers to hold fast to their faith without wavering, as they will be tested. The sermon concludes with a prayer for God's appointed word to fill the souls and spirits of the listeners.

I thank you, Lord, because you are a high God, and, Lord, the Lord over all, the Lord over all of our moments, the Lord over all of our speaking, our coming in and going out, we want, my God, what you have appointed for this very moment, Lord, we want what you have prepared for these moments, fill my soul, my spirit, my thought with it, and bring it forth in your own particular way, to the blessedness of these saints, and those who have received this word through the paper. Thank you for being a Lord who does all things well. Delight yourself now, my God, through this obedience. Thank you and give you the praise in Jesus' name. Amen. If you turn to Hebrews chapter 9, you can read the first eight verses. I don't know if I've ever shared this with you before or in Cairo before, but just in case I don't have an opportunity to come back, I would feel badly that I did not share something that is extremely dear to me, and I trust will be made dear to you. This is more than just a curiosity over the architecture of the original tabernacle. This is more than just a curiosity over the architecture of the original tabernacle. It's full of exquisite details that were established by the wisdom of God, all of which are very rich in meaning, and yet I believe also it has the most profound practical importance for us in the last days. and yet I believe also it has the most profound practical importance for us in the last days. Verse 8 spoke about that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, but it's made manifest now, and yet there are few believers who take advantage of that fact. and yet there are few believers who take advantage of that fact. Most of us are outer court people. We don't realize that there's an inner place, and one that God invites us to enter boldly, and to find grace to help in time of need, and we're certainly going to experience such times. and we're certainly going to experience such times. Nothing of our past experience, or proven experience, or conventional wisdom will be sufficient. Nothing of our past experience, or proven experience, or conventional wisdom will be sufficient. If we go on to follow after the Lord in the last days, we're going to find ourselves in unpredictable situations. They will confound us and we will say, No. God certainly could not have done this. No. God certainly could not have done this. There's a place where there's a wisdom that can be found, and an understanding, and a direction that we need to appropriate. It's available, but we need to know that, and we need to have the faith to enter it. God's great condemnation of Israel is that they did not enter in for their unbelief. They failed to enter in. And that might be our unhappy condition also. It's not enough to contemplate the tabernacle of God. There's a place that requires an actual entry. So I want us to picture what this tabernacle was like in the way that God in His own wisdom laid it out. Three compartments for courts. An outer court, an inner court, and a Most Holy Place. The whole thing was within an enclosure. It was within a fenced enclosure. And the outer court was the largest place within that enclosure. When you came in, you saw the labor of washing, a great brass conveyance for the holding of water. And then an altar of sacrifice. And this speaks of the fundamental truths of salvation. The water of washing, the water of the Word, and the fact of sacrifice. And that's where most believers are fixed even today. They're so happy to be within the enclosure of God. They so appreciate the salvation that has come to them in that place. But it doesn't occur to them to enter further. This place is open to the sunlight. It has no covering. So what you see there, you see by the natural light. And that's sufficient for the basic issues of salvation. But right behind it is an inner court. And that is covered by skins. And what illuminates that court is the seven-branched menorah that came from the kitchen door. And that's a brilliant light. And in it we can see the table of shelled bread. Which is a picture or a symbol of the Word that is a bread of life for more substantial revelation of the purposes of salvation. Not the ultimate purposes, but the purposes of God. Beyond the issues of salvation. And there's an altar of incense that gives up a cloud of scented smoke. This is a symbol of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. So the whole thing suggests the dimension of Christian experience that is known to spirit-filled people. To charismatic people. The issues of the body of Christ. The things that pertain to his kingdom. It's a much richer and more significant place than the outer court. But there is not as much activity in that place. And the first was many priests making sacrifices. Much traffic between the mosques. Here only a few priests met daily for the shelled bread and for the fixing of the altar of incense. And there are a number of believers that are fixed in that place. But it's not the ultimate place. There is the Holy of Holies. And there was a veil that separated it from the other compartments of the house. And the curtain of the skins covered it even more heavily and more darkly than the previous spots. And there was no natural light, no man-made light. Only the light of the glory of God himself. The Shekinah, the Hebrew word of God's glory and presence. Which brooded over the single piece of furniture called the Ark of God and the Mercy Seat. And into that holy place only one priest came and that once in the year. It was the high priest who had to be descendant from Aaron. And there he came to make atonement for himself and for the nation. He sprinkled the blood of calves and bulls over the Mercy Seat which was a gold plate over the Ark of God. He sprinkled the blood of calves and bulls over the Ark of God. It was like a gold plate over the Ark, which is a box made of wood lined with gold inside and out. And inside that box were the tablets of the law, Aaron's rod and the little pot of manna. And there the high priest sprinkled the blood of sacrifice, and he proclaimed the name of the Lord, only once in the year, and nobody knows to this day how the name of the Lord is to be pronounced. It was a secret and a mystery. We say Jehovah, but it's only an secret. All we know are the consonants that are called Yod-Heh-Vov-Heh in Hebrew. It's a secret. And to this day Jews do not even spell the word God or Lord. They put a dash and I want to just spend a few minutes looking at this article of furniture where God's presence dwells. So if you turn with me to Exodus 25, we read the actual description that God gave to Moses on the top of the mount. Exodus 25, and commanded him to build it exactly according to this pattern. That earthly tabernacle no longer exists. The temple itself has been destroyed, but the heavenly original still remains. And it's in that place that we have actual access now. So it's described from verse 17 of chapter 25. It's about the mercy seat made of pure gold and it gives the dimensions. And of the two cherubim of gold that is broken out of one piece of gold. One angel on one end and one angel on the other end. Verse 20 says that the cherubim shall stretch their wings on high covering the mercy seat with their wings. Which verse? Okay. And their faces shall look one to another toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. And shall put the mercy seat above the ark and in the ark put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee and I will commune with thee. From above the mercy seat and from between the two cherubim. Why is that the place where God will meet with man? Why is this the place that God will meet with man? There I will meet with you. And there I will speak with you and give you commandments for the children of Israel. The Lord gave me this message on the day that I arrived in Israel from Egypt on some previous trip. I got in about three or four o'clock in the morning. I was exhausted. My wife went out with a group and I stayed in the hotel room. And I was just about to fall asleep when the lady came in to make the room when my wife had put the sign on the door, I was trying to rest in the hotel room and my wife had put the sign on the door, So I woke up and before I could fall asleep again the Lord said Exodus 25. And directed me to the verses that we just read. And here was the impression that was in my spirit that God dwells above the mercy seat and between the cherubim And that these cherubim are beaten out of the same piece of gold. And they face each other. And in that I sense everything that is opposite, male and female. Jew and gentile, prophet and teacher, wherever there is a basis for tension and antagonism. Not because we want to be that way, but there is something in the very nature of polarity of opposites that God himself has created. God made teachers and prophets, both are needed for his church. But there is an inherent antagonism. The teacher is systematic, line upon line, precept upon precept. Only the word. The prophet is visionary. And he can speak from many things. He feels confined by the narrowness of the teacher's mentality. And the very thing that is essential to his prophetic expression is an irritant to the teacher. How does he take the liberty to say that? How does he have the liberty to say what he wants to say? Who supports what he says with the word? Teachers always say to the prophet, show us the verses or references to what you say. And the prophet is irritated by this kind of confining mentality. Can't you see he tweets? Male and female I mentioned. Jew and gentile. Don't tell me there is no difference. Ask my wife. Who is a gentile of the gentiles. As much as I am a Hebrew of the Hebrews. Such differences of mentality. The way we breathe and think and our values. Yes, we are continually at a place of agitation. What shall we say about the Palestinian and Israeli? A history of conflict. And we can multiply the instances throughout the world. But where is God's presence? In the place where the angels look at each other face to face. Like what we did yesterday in your bedroom. And we spoke out of our prophetic perception. And we spoke from the perspective of the pastor shepherd. And we hammered it out. They said make these cherubim that their wings touch as they cover the mercy sheet. And they are looking face to face. Don't look away from the issues. That's a false peace. Well, let's forget the past and let bygones be bygones. No, let's remember the past. But let's look at it through the place of mercy. To the wisdom of God. Well, under that mercy sheet were the tables of the law. The righteous requirement of God. We are not going to have deep resolution and ignore that. God is after all a God of righteousness and a God of truth. He calls us to be the ground and the pillar of truth. So we have to face the issues of truth. But through the place of mercy. And there I will meet with you. Above the mercy sheet. And between the cherubim. And there I will give you intermediate assistance. I love this about Aligarh. I love this idea of God being our God. I am so glad that God does not escape us. Or that we should put our best foot forward and make our best appearance. Or that God does not ask us to put our best face or our best attitude and walk ahead of the past. But God wants us to dig from the gold. Face to face. And God wants us to be heavy from the gold and be face to face. And we have been doing that in these days. We needed the opposition and the tension. And should not shrink from the issues that it produces. And we hold steady and face to face. Through the place of mercy. We will come into a place where his presence is. And we will meet in a place where the presence of God is clear. And there we will find an answer from God higher than all of us. Higher than all. A higher answer than all. So I want to ask if you have been coming into that place. You say I am not qualified to enter that holy place. You say I am not qualified to come to that place. But God tells us in Hebrews 10. To enter with boldness. By the blood of Jesus in verse 19. Not with any qualifications that we have. That is what makes it a new and a living way. It has not to do with our qualifications but with his. The veil that had kept men out is now lengthened too. To provide a new and living way. Through his flesh in verse 20. So verse 22. Let us draw near with a true heart. This is why many of us are still in the outer court or in a lesser place. This is why many of us are still in the outer court or in a lesser place. To draw near requires a full faith. A full assurance. Can you believe while you are on earth that you can have entry into that place in heaven? Can you believe while you are on earth that you can have entry into that place in heaven? Can you believe that the veil is really lengthened? And God bids you to come faithfully. And to wait before his Shekinah presence. According to his promise. And know that there I will meet with you. And give you instruction. Give you answer. Give you inspiration. Give you enablement. For unpredictable situations. For unhuman wisdom could never provide an answer. Even your past spiritual experience. There is a place that is holy that is available to you. As God's greatest end time provision. In the midst of all of the confusion and tumult of the last days. There is a place that can be entered by full assurance of faith. Because of a veil that was rent by the flesh of Jesus. And that we can enter by his blood. Before this understanding came to me my own spiritual life was a series of ups and downs. And I obtained a series of tapes on this subject by a certain speaker. And I almost wanted to shut the tapes because his English was so bad. And when I heard the tapes I wanted to shut the tapes because his English was so bad. He was from the American South. And spoke with a southern accent. A real country boy. Let it work. But I praise God that though my finger came close to shutting the machine I stopped. And I continued to listen. And he described his own spiritual struggle. The lack of consistency in his own life. The failures and the disappointments. But that God had shown him and that he had entered into the holiest place of all. And that it had transformed his entire life. He had access to inspiration. And an enablement and a grace. That he had not known before. And he was living consistently and consciously from that place. And faith came by hearing and hearing by the word of God. As I hope is happening to some of you as I'm sharing this. The faith to believe, the faith to enter. And the faith to abide. So I came to a place where I stopped the machine. I wasn't feeling particularly spiritual. I was in bed. And I said, Lord, not on any basis of qualification that I have. But on the basis of the blood of Jesus. And the veil rent by his flesh. I now do enter the holiest place of all. And I believe that this has been a key in this sense. In fact, I believe that that's why I'm speaking the subject now. Because I'm continually reminding God that this is where I'm dwelling. And that the inspiration that would come to me would come to me out of that place. But this is the last day of ministry here. And what is appropriate for that day? Or any of the days that have preceded it. Or any of our days. How is anyone to know what is appropriate? When the stakes are so great. What if there's not another visit by me here? And something will come as suddenly into the life of this nation as the earthquake of a few days ago. And that something might have been imparted to have been a great grace for believers in such times and that we had missed it. I didn't think to speak my testimony last night. It's something that I rarely ever do. But something was alive in my spirit. That I believe came to me from that place. The heaviest place. So we have a choice before us. Is this a beautiful biblical poetry? An imaginative literary kind of a thing for our mental enjoyment? Or is this an actual and profound provision from God? Available to any believer. Who has full access to God. Assurance of faith. He says hold fast the profession of your faith without wavering. Because you'll be tested in this. And your mind will tell you that nothing is happening. You're still in your hotel room in Cairo. You're talking yourself into something. You don't feel anything that suggests God's glory. The thought that has come to you is out of your own mind. Hold fast the profession of your faith. The only veil that may remain is our veil. Our hardness of heart. Our chronic unbelief. Our skepticism. So appreciate the God who is pleased to dwell between these charities. May we be as pleased to meet him there. The place where mercy and truth kiss. We can't be happier. We cannot have the one without the other. Mercy is not mercy if it's not true. Yes, there are issues and problems between us. In the church and among the nations. The history of Israel and Egypt. But there's a God in the midst. If we'll face each other for the truth. And at the same time look down to the place of mercy. And through it to the righteous requirement of God. There I will meet with you. That has not changed. It's eternal. It's a great key for us who believe. That has all of the promise of changing our daily and practical Christian walk. Bringing the freshness of God's now word and inspiration. If we will meet him in that place. I say Lord infuse me with that word of instruction for the sons of Israel. That I'm meeting night after night in Cairo. Put it in communion in my meeting with you in that place. Put it right into my spirit. Infuse. Say that again. The word of the Lord himself. Put right into my spirit out of his presence. And the spirit of your glory with it. So I want to invite you to enter. Have you ever done it? Have you come to that faith? Maybe everything till now has been preparation. For faith that can believe this. That desires it. If your Christian life has been conventional and predictable. You don't need it. You can answer for most needs out of principle. But God is going to bring us to places that are unpredictable. And we need his now word. His present wisdom. In all of its uniqueness. That can only be obtained in that place. And when you receive it will you speak it? Even if you are questioned about that? And other kinds of speaking might have been more acceptable? And you can't understand where it's taking you? And it seems to be deepening the crisis? Without any solution in sight? Do you still trust what you receive in that place? And express it and do it? We will see much more glory on the earth. If there are people who come to God. Come to men out of God's presence. It will transform our evangelism. And I'm alive this morning because of it. As I told you last night in the critical moments. In that journey that resulted in my conversion. In the critical moment. What if a man had given me a wrong answer? And even John 3.16 would have been a wrong answer. I received the word from the holiest place of my family. By a man who spoke it boldly. Without withholding himself. Without asking would I understand it? Or would I be offended? Who never saw the result of his obedience. Art what the world needs is for men to wash one another's feet. It was that word. It was a word from heaven. In God's perfect moment. And that's how we should live. Moment by moment. From what comes to us in heaven. Not yet in the earth. Not in Cairo. I want to pray. For entry. Those who hold fast a confession of your faith. I had to stop the machine and say, Lord, right now I enter by faith in the name of Jesus and the blood of Jesus. It was a confession. Is it a confession that you have made? And that you're holding steady. Without wavering. You're invited this morning to enter. I invite you today to enter. I invite you to enter. Through the new and living way. Not your qualification. Who is qualified to enter? The blood of Jesus. And the veil that was rent by Christ. So precious God, we just bow before you. What unspeakable privilege. And we're not descended from Aaron. We're Gentiles. And Egyptians. And we have access to that place. Where your presence is. Again and again and again. As often as you come by faith. That we can dwell there. And commune with you there. And receive from you there a word. A wisdom. A direction. An enablement, a grace. Lord, we come. Even the most violent persecution that will ever come upon your hands. In the very midst of that. This place is open and available to you. This is where Stephen himself dwelt as the rocks were pelting off his flesh. He saw heaven, he was in heaven. That he could not even feel the pain of what he was experiencing. But only the forgiveness of God that radiated out of God's kingdom of heaven. Lord, God wants you to remember that. No matter what comes. Will come. Must come. There is a place that is available and open to you. Through the new and living way. By the blood of Jesus. Enter. Abide there. It is our sanctuary. Our secret place. The place of the most high. And of his council. Hallelujah.