Being a Priest — Michael Howard

Hallelujah the Lord is so wonderful. I believe what you are seeing concerning South Africa dark very dark days are coming to South Africa as dark as Zimbabwe and the writings already on the wall. You know the wonderful thing about God is he's moving across South Africa particularly among the white farmers who are about to be dispossessed of their farms just as the farmers in Zimbabwe were.

And the mercy and grace of God the love of an incredible God to visit them. And they are they are getting saved. They're getting brought into the kingdom by the tens of thousands as God is visiting them.

And I believe it's really in preparation for what's coming and and so I just marvel at the mercy and the grace of our wonderful God. We've been fellowshipping with you for many years now and one of the great reports that I want to bring is after we left Sudan many people are kind of disappointed but you know the issue is that when you finished a mandate when God calls you to do something and you've done what God called you to do.

There's no long there's no reason in perpetuating anything that God has finished so many times that you know we continue in the flesh those things that God began and God finishes and the moment that the flesh gets in the way we mess it up.

And I know very well that because of the character that I am that if God hadn't slammed the door very tightly closed in Sudan I would have gone back and built another Bible school and that wasn't God's plan.

And you know we've kind of been cuddled from Sudan for the last five years or so and everybody asked you know what's going on what's going on there. And recently God has just opened the doors again. I haven't been there but but God has opened the doors and has started bringing into our lives many of our graduates from Sudan.

I'm getting phone calls from the middle of southern Sudan by satellite telephone and I marvel. How did you get my number. You know but the African the African bush telegraph works wonderfully. And about a month ago when I was in Sudan I had this mechanic.

He was a brilliant mechanic. He's brilliant at stealing the good parts out of my car and replacing them with lousy broken parts from somebody else's vehicle. But that the man was an excellent mechanic and he was lawless.

That's the only way I can describe him. But but God gave me a real passion for the southern Sudanese man and I really loved him and loved him and loved him. But he didn't go anywhere. Finally we we did have to get rid of him.

And two months ago I suddenly get a phone call and he says father this is a Samuel. I said you've got to be joking. He said no he said I want to tell you the most wonderful news. I said what's that knowing he was such a thief a liar and a cheat.

You know he said I'm really really serving Jesus is it. God's got a whole of me. He said I have started five churches. I have two mechanical workshops and they're doing so well that they're financing my works.

He said God is just blessing me abundantly. I have my whole life has changed everything has turned around. I'm so in love with Jesus Christ. I'm not interested in the former things. I'm only interested in serving him.

He then began to tell me of all of the graduates that passed through the Bible school in Sudan naming them all this one's in that place that one's in that they've all started churches. They're doing the most incredible things.

And most important of all is the southern Sudanese government and and we were basically training chaplains for them have said that that all of the graduates that went through the Bible school in southern Sudan if they went through Kali boo Bible school then they are the people that we want in the administration and government of southern Sudan.

And so all of these men have been given prominent positions in the administration because they say they're trustworthy they're educated. They're men of God. They we we we don't have to worry about the money.

That's the big thing. We don't have to worry about the money. So what a tremendous testimony and you supported us through that and it's just exciting what God is doing up there and the news that is coming down to us.

And you know I I really believe that if we had gone back and and started another Bible school in our flesh then these wonderful things would not have happened because these men would have depended on us and not on the Lord and the Holy Spirit to to do the work that they were trained and equipped to do.

The Malawi Academy and Raising Leaders of Integrity

Hallelujah. And while I'm sharing that wonderful testimony I have to share the testimony about what's going on in Malawi. And we started the high school a high school last year for those of you who are just visiting or don't know we started a high school in Africa.

A high school can really make an impact on a whole nation because it wouldn't wouldn't do so here and so we built this high school and we opened doors in January of last year with 46 students. We had the official opening in July and we had 96 students.

But in September last year we jumped to 480 students and as of the 1st of September this year in three weeks time we will be 750 students. These are not just you know anybody these are the the sons and daughters of the political social and economic leaders of Malawi and they're coming to the to the Academy every morning we have praise and worship with all the instruments and 20 minutes of praise and worship and dancing and singing and praising God.

And then each morning one of the members of staff takes a whole week to present a theme from the Word of God that it impacts the students. And then of course normal school business and the the teachers are allowed to pray for kids in the classroom lay hands on them baptize him in the Holy Spirit just a couple weeks ago before school ended for the for the term we baptized I think was about 64 students in water by immersion and you know God is really working.

And of course we've got tremendous opposition. Whenever God does anything the enemy is going to try and frustrate it and oppose it that that's just accepted and that goes with the territory and so we have tremendous opposition.

We have some parents that are offended about this and offended about that but we don't care about the few. You know the vast majority of the parents are so overwhelmed by what is happening to these children in the school.

We had our first public examinations a couple months ago at this time last year I would have said that out of the 59 students that wrote only four would have passed this year of the 59 that wrote only four failed and I've seen the distinctive as the Word of God as the Spirit of God is the presence of God has gone into these students.

I've watched the academic progress just skyrocket and you know that when the Word of God comes into our lives He changes us, He empowers us, He fills us, Beloved. Hallelujah. That's something to get really excited about and and here is spiritual life lived reality and the whole nation really is talking about this academy and we're raising up a new generation for the future a generation of Malawians who will be the future leaders of the nation filled with the power of God filled with the anointing of God and people of integrity.

That's our vision and God is bringing it to pass before our very eyes so that's very exciting. So if you're investing you've invested into really fertile ground if you have your Bibles turn with me to the book of Hebrews.

And as I look at the world current condition of our world the whole world is in crisis. Realize beloved there is that there isn't a leader. There isn't an an outstanding leader in the church. There's no great figure in the world in the church there's no great figure in the political world.

There's no great figure economically or in any otherwise. What an opportunity that we have in this hour to be people of God. And I don't believe that God is necessarily looking for a leader. That's why there's going to be an antichrist that will easily rise up.

God isn't looking for one great figure. God is looking for an army of figures. God is looking for an army of believers filled with His power filled with His anointing filled with His glory that are going to go out and do what He has purposed us to do.

That's exactly what He did while He was on earth. Hallelujah. And this is the greatest day for the church this hour in which we are living that far that we can fulfill the ministries and callings that God has put upon our lives but far more than that beloved that we should be like Him that our character and our nature should be transformed and changed to be like Jesus.

Hallelujah. To be like Jesus to be like Jesus. All I ask is to be like Him. Hallelujah. And one of the things that is really been exercising me for a long while is the lack of understanding that we have of being His priests.

Understanding the Believer's Priestly Calling

Everybody wants to be a king man. Everybody wants to be a ruler. Everybody wants to be an overcomer. Everybody wants to be out there dictating establishing policy ruling and reigning. But we fail to realize that before ever we can be out there in the world.

And it's not ruling and reigning like a king in the natural beloved. It's ruling and reigning over principalities and powers the strongholds of the enemy. When we understand who we are as priests we'll understand that God has purposed us to go out into the highways and byways to go out into the darkness of this world and bring His order and His government and His system and His peace and His glory out of the confusion and the chaos that is in the world.

How many times do we add to the confusion and chaos instead of being a solution to it. Amen. How many of you go to family reunions. And at the end of the family reunion say my god why did I ever go. You promise I'll never go next year.

And every year you go back for the same punishment. Amen. Why. Why was it so grueling. And why was it so punishing. Oh well we'll do it for mother's sake. Or we'll do it for mom and dad's sake. And then you say no I'll never do it again.

It seemed like year after year we go back to be beaten up you know to be whipped again. And and it's like when is something gonna change. I'll tell you what the problem is. Beloved. There's always got to be somebody in the family that wants to take control.

There's always got to be some miss bossy boots yeah. Or mr. busybody who interferes in everybody's affairs. There's always got to be one of the family that's got to be manipulating and controlling. And and and.

And you know what they do. Anybody identify truth. But you know what. We walk into a situation of that nature. And we'd become part of the problem instead of being a solution to the problem. I meant so instead of you know we walk in and suddenly we're arguing.

We're fighting. We were stirred up because you know somebody said something that offends us. And we get into the debate and we get into the arguments and tempers rise and people get excited. And we go away and we're totally deflated.

And we know that we haven't behaved the way that God wanted us to behave. And instead of us being a solution to a problem but we became part of the problem because we didn't carry the authority and the anointing of Almighty God into that problem.

Because we haven't yet overcome. We haven't allowed the Spirit of God to overcome our own fleshly weaknesses. Man if we live the way Jesus wanted us to live wanted us to hear this. Because you know you can solve many a problem.

You can solve many a family problem. You can many solve many a problem. At work. You know go to work. And it's it's you look at somebody's I don't like him. I don't like her. Wait a minute. We don't have the right to walk into a situation and say I don't like that person because of the way they're behaving they are somebody that needs to be redeemed.

I mean if I'm if I'm if I'm part of the conflict they're never gonna get redeemed. Amen. And so we need to understand who we are as the priests of the Most High God and what our role is. What is God called us to be and do.

Hebrews 3 and the Faithfulness of Christ

Chapter 3. Wherefore holy brethren hands up. Holy brethren come on. We are holy brethren separated glorious completely different. We've been taken out of the darkness the confusion and the chaos of this world and translated into his wonderful kingdom.

Hallelujah makes me holy. I don't mind. My thinking must change. I don't look at things like I used to look at them. I don't behave like I used to behave. I don't desire like I used to desire. I have been translated.

He has changed me. He has transformed me by his incredible power. That's about nothing to do with me amen. He found me because he loved me. And he's changing me because he loves me. Amen. Wherefore holy brethren tonight.

Therefore act holy. Think holy. Do holy hallelujah. So many times we we you know we don't have anything to live up to. You don't have a standard to live up to. One of the things I tell my students in Africa.

Reach for the stars. And then you'll hit the top of the trees. You reach for the top of the trees. You can hit the ground. You're going nowhere. Amen. Have a dream. Make it so high. What's the point of having such a hygiene beloved.

Have the highest dream you could ever have. Men. Wherefore holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling. Heavenly calling. We are partakers of a heavenly calling. Hallelujah. That's so much higher than anything that the earth has to offer beloved.

It's not about going to heaven. This walk is not about going to heaven. This walk is about entering into the rest and the peace of Almighty God. This is about entering into the joy of the Lord. This is about entering into a place beloved where I'm so satisfied in him.

I'm complete in him. One thing lacking nothing. Hallelujah. And so few of us ever reach there. Why. Because we get caught up with the with the affairs of the world. We get caught up with this fight over here.

We get caught up with that thing over there. We get caught up with somebody's opinion. Over there. Instead of getting caught up with his opinion and his purposes and his plans for my life. Most Christians think well if I do something for God I'm going to get some extra brownie points.

It's not how it works. If I give God may bless me. If I go somewhere God may do something for me. If I you know everything that we think of in terms of our walk with God is if I do something what can I do to please God.

I want to tell you there's only one thing that you can do to please God. And that is be a priest. Everything else will come out of that automatically. Amen. Consider. Consider the Apostle and the high priest of our profession Christ Jesus.

And the word profession is the same as confession in the Greek. Consider the Apostle and high priest of your confession. Whatever. What is your confession of Christ. What is your confession of Christ.

If Jesus Christ is my great Apostle and high priest my profession of him is gonna be my confession of him. Hallelujah. The way that I see him. What has Christ done in your life. What is Christ go for you.

What is Christ. Christ's purpose. Beloved. Where am I going in Christ Jesus. If I have a high high profession I'm gonna have a glorious powerful victorious confession. I meant Oh Jesus is my Savior. That reminds me of the old Pentecostals.

You know. Stand up every Sunday evening. Was testimony time. No. What did they all stay well blessed. God. I'm saved and sanctified. Well so what man. So what you know I'm not interested beloved that you got saved and sanctified 30 years ago.

I don't give a stinking hoot how long you've been saved. So we always want to go back and say well I got saved 50 years ago. Yeah. Well where do you stand right now. Misery. Amen. See. But it's one one thing to get saved 50 years ago.

It's another thing to be so excited about Jesus right now that you can hardly stand life. The problem with us is that we get caught up in living this natural life. We get caught up with the affairs of the world that we forget.

He is my great Apostle and high priest. He is my example. He is my role model above anything else. We plaster our walls with all kinds of people that we deem to be role models. But beloved. There's one above everyone that is the greatest more role model.

Who has been the greatest man that ever lived on this planet. A man above men. Hallelujah. The greatest man the greatest one. Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God. Hallelujah. We could only emulate all.

I want to be like so-and-so. I want to be like so-and-so. I want to be like so. I want to be like Jesus. Hallelujah. Consider. You know we read these words. Stop and consider this great high priest.

Consider his walk. Consider his faith. Consider his faithfulness. Amen. No. As a leader there's one thing that I look for one quality above every other quality. That is faithfulness. Doesn't matter how gifted somebody may be doesn't matter how talented they may be.

It doesn't matter what they may have in this life and this world. Beloved. If they cannot be faithful they will never be a leader. They will never be teachable. And there's such an absence of faithfulness.

Why. Because in this generation in which we living everybody has been trained everybody has been indoctrinated that I am going to be my own boss man. So we've got people in ministry today who should never be in ministry.

They should be faithful servants to others in ministry. But everybody has been trained. I'm to be my own man. I'm to be my own minister. I'm to be this. I'm to be. And so we have an absence of faithful men in the house of God.

Mm-hmm. People with the the gift of helps. How many people do we need with a ministry of helps. Or the gift of helps. You know. No. But somebody suddenly decides I'm gonna be a leader. No. You are a helper.

And we need faithful men and women who will be helpers all the days of their lives. Because beloved we're a team. We are a body. And every part of the body has a function. And every part of the body needs another part of the body for the successful extension of that body.

I don't feel that I'm exercising my ministry enough. Why be recognized. The least member of this physical body is not even seen. Who is faithful to him that appointed him. Who is faithful to him that appointed him.

That is Jesus Christ faithful to the father as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses in as much as he who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house.

Amen. He who hath builded the house hath more honor than the house. Beloved. We look at church buildings. I often sit down and I wonder what is the value of church buildings throughout the world. We can't even begin to imagine the value.

What is it here in the United States. Six trillion dollars of church building. Church property. Six trillion dollars. Could you imagine what we could do with that kind of money in preaching the gospel.

And we've invested in building. Nothing wrong with having a building. And it's nothing wrong with having a comfortable building. We forget this point. This is the building that God has made. Every other building is made by the hands of men.

But this building has been made by the hands of God. Hallelujah. And every building down through the ages every church that is every building that sanctuary temple that God speaks of here is nothing compared to the building that God has perfected.

And that's this body. You got that because he's come to dwell in here. Amen. No matter how frail this body may be doesn't matter how subject it may be to the the sicknesses the diseases the problems the affairs of this world beloved.

Yet God is pleased to dwell in here. And the indwelling of God in this temple the indwelling of God in this house the indwelling of God beloved. Making this the church. Hallelujah into a priest. Hallelujah.

The Royal Priesthood and Ministry to God

He has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. He has called us out of the nations out of the kingdoms out of the peoples of this world to make us his royal his royal priesthood. Hallelujah.

His royal priesthood his holy separated royal priesthood. And what is the ministry of the priest. The ministry of the priest to minister to him to show forth his praises to glorify him. And how much more do we need to be before we open this trumpet and let it blast.

Because that's our ministry. I don't I don't understand how people can sit in the presence of God. We call it the manifest presence of God. Okay that is the tangible presence of God. And you can feel the tangible presence of God.

And people just sit and they look like the spirit of the Lord is moving that there's a you can almost feel like you reach out and touch it. And that manifest presence of God. How can we just sit in that manifest presence of God without opening this mouth and declaring his glory and his majesty.

Because beloved we are required to do so as his priests. It's not an option. Listen. If we were under the law of Moses tonight we were under the dispensation of the law. There wouldn't be anybody here that would be a priest.

There wouldn't be anybody here that would be a priest. Because priesthood under under the under the law of Moses priesthood was only by one tribe the Levitical tribe or the house of Aaron the high priest.

Which means that none of us here would be a priest. Do you realize. Not one of us would be able to sit here tonight sing those songs of worship to God and praise God. All we would do would bring a sacrificial offering to a priest of the house of Aaron or the tribe of Levi.

And he would take our offering whatever it would be whether a turtle dove or beloved or a lamb or whatever it may be. And he would take it. And he would do everything. And he would burn it on the altar of sacrifice.

And he would make offering on your behalf. Hallelujah. See. But by a new and living way by the veil that is to say the flesh of Jesus Christ he has torn asunder the curtain that separated. And now by the veil that is the flesh of Jesus Christ we have access free access.

Not just access beloved but with boldness into the presence of God. What prevents us coming into the presence of God. All of the garbage that we allow to be hanging on to us all of the stuff all of our guilt and our shame despite the fact that we are believers washed in the blood of Jesus Christ he has passed into the sea of forgetfulness everything beloved.

We still want to hang on to our garbage the stuff. And then this is a election year in your nation. One of the great things about election year is everybody searches for the biggest load of garbage they can find on somebody else.

Man smear smear smear. You know everybody's terrified that somebody's gonna find out the dark secret about my life. You know what. Throw open the stinking door and let everybody look at the dark secret.

Because everybody's got one. Come on. Everybody's got a dark secret beloved. I love it in Africa. You know when visitors coming there that the natives love they're fascinated with a tent just for some reason they're so fascinated with a tent.

This is you're going to live in this tent. And so you know they gather around by the hundreds especially the kids to watch you putting up this tent. And then you climb it and you zip it closed. And now you got a problem because all they want to do is look inside that tent and do the Western mindset.

This is my private property. This is doesn't matter where it is. You know it's like we build a house. We put a wall around it we shut everything out. We shut everybody else. That's exactly what people do when they come to Africa.

They put up a tent hide in my little tent. This is my little privacy here. And the natives get so frustrated. And they keep on coming. And they keep on coming. And I say I say to visitors listen just open the tent let everybody look inside.

And when they've seen it they're satisfied. And when you do that you get about a hundred heads all poking in that little. You know that little opening all at one time. Everybody wants to see what's going on.

How do you stay in this tent. How do you stay in this little house. But when they've seen it they're satisfied. So beloved. Open the door let everybody look at the rubbish. When they've seen it they won't bother you anymore.

The House of God, Adam, and the Fall

For this man was counted more worthy. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses in as much as he who had built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by some man.

But he that built all things is God. He fearfully and wonderfully made you. He fearfully and wonderfully made you. I think of God digging this mud this clay this dust of the ground and fashioning Adam with how many how many of you played mud pies when you were kids.

I love to do that. I love to fashion people in the mud and wish that they would come alive. Change this change this. Make them look like this. Make them look like it. But you think about God. He takes this just dust of the ground and he fashions this man just a clay model lying there.

And then he breathes the breath of life. And Adam rises up a living soul. You see what a story. No it's not a story. It's true. It's true beloved. I think about that. All of the character all of the nature all of the quality all of the glory that was God was in Adam was the first son of God.

No who was the first son of God. Luke says which was the son of Adam. Which was the son of God. And all of the character and the quality and the nature of God. He breathed in Adam until the fall. And that and what was in Adam was cloned into Eve.

She was born of his bone and flesh of his flesh. So all of the character all of the quality all of the nature of God that that way went into Eve. What was their clothing. What was their covering the glory of God.

They were full of light in them. There was no darkness. What is the greatest attribute of our God. God is love. Hallelujah. Why are we so critical and judgmental. Because we still we still have the character and nature of fallen Adam.

Amen. You think that you think about the church. The church is so critical. The church is so judgmental. Instead of being love. Amen. That doesn't mean to say God isn't a judge. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that God is a judge.

But God has. God has set his judgment in the earth. What did he say to Israel. I give you a blessing. I give you cursing. You choose. You choose. I give you life. And here's death. You choose. Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life.

No man comes to the Father but by him. Beloved. If we don't come to God through Christ Jesus. What. In whatever way you want to look at it we have chosen death. It isn't God saying you die. You die. You live.

You live. You die. No he says his life is death. You live in Christ in him. I live and move and have my being hallelujah outside of him. I'm dead. People are going to hell by their own design. People are going to hell by their own design.

Amen. Because he's offered us life. Remember this life that he's offered us is not about an escape from hell. Because hell wasn't created for you and me. How was created for the devil and his angels come on beloved.

It isn't God God's purpose that any of us should go to hell. Does that mean that people are going to hell. I hope you bet they are. Amen. I'm not walking watering down any gospel here. But Christ as a son over his own house.

Whose house are we. What a privilege. Whose house are we. You realize it tonight. You are the house of the Son of God a wonderful house that he has chosen to dwell in. Huh. We may find fault with our house.

Hmm. Ladies nowadays. One everybody wants cosmetic surgery and have a facelift. Go and remove a little bit of fat and do this. And do that. I love it. You are the house of God. Don't play around with it.

You think. Do you think that Jesus Christ is worried whether you've got a double chin. Do you think Jesus Christ is worried. Worried if you got extra few pounds of fat. Amen. You see we get caught up.

You know we've been deceived and cheated by the world standard. Look at the Hollywood. Look at the macho man of Hollywood and the beautiful woman of Hollywood and the whole industry beloved. And we've been deceived and cheated.

And we're going to. We start thinking a certain way which is the way of the world. Instead of thinking the kingdom of God thinking a man of the most high God. I'm here for a purpose is to glorify him.

And the more that I fulfill my purpose in glorifying God beloved. And that puts us all on the same level. The man. The more that I know who I am more I realize who I am. Why am I created. But Christ as a son over his own house.

Worship in Spirit and Truth

Whose house are we. If we hold fast. The confidence in the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Listen. Beloved as a priest it is my business to minister to God in this temple. I meant that means I own it.

I don't know. Don't get me wrong. Not saying don't belong to a church. But beloved as a priest. I can be anywhere in this house and worship God. I can be driving down the highway. I can be lying on my bed.

I could be sitting by the fishing. I can be out on a boat. I can be in an airplane. It doesn't matter where I am. It doesn't matter the time of day or night. It doesn't matter the condition. There's nothing perfect.

I can worship God in this temple. Amen. That's why they said you Jews worship in Jerusalem. We Samaritans worship on this mountain. And Jesus said to them you're wrong. You're wrong. Worshippers worship in this temple in spirit and in truth.

Hallelujah. Time has come for the true worshippers to rise up. The time has come for the true priests to rise up. Priesthood ministering to God. God you're so wonderful. God I love you Lord. I'm crazy about you.

God I can't stand life. You're so wonderful. I'm so excited about you. God I can hardly stand to live. You're so real. What's wrong with standing somewhere in a shopping mall and say God I love you. Crazy about you.

You know everybody's gonna think you're crazy. So what. God doesn't. It was so worried about it. What everybody's gonna see. Now we intimidate each other in the church. You know it. Don't shout too loud.

Don't get too excited. Don't get too radical. Don't do something that everybody's gonna look at you. But beloved he's in this temple. He's alive. Powerful dynamic excited. You know I can't stand it. This flesh just holds down and listen.

Bringing God's Order Into a Chaotic World

You can't go out there into the world and be a king carrying his authority. That's what that's all kingships about carrying the authority of God into the confusion and chaos of the world. Amen. Remember on the first day of creation God said let there be light.

There was light. God separated the light from the darkness and the light he called day in the darkness he called night was day one. Amen. But the moon and the stars were only created on day four. So what was the light of day one.

What was the light of day one. It was God's order. God's government God's righteousness God's glory. God's presence breathed into the confusion and chaos existed. What is covered the face of the deep.

There was confusion. God brought order and he separated order from disorder. That's why so many criminal acts take place under the cover of darkness. We have a town in Malawi. I hate going there. I just if I do anything to avoid going there because it's nothing but confusion chaos and disorder.

It's a Muslim town. Why is it that you go to certain parts of the world like India. It's just confusion chaos disorder. Amen. How many people live in confusion chaos and disorder. Let me tell you something beloved.

You are responsible for what goes on in your house this one and the physical building in which you live. How many people walk up to me that I don't know what to do. Pastor. You know my son is a drug addict and and he just seems to rule in my house.

Honey how old is your son. 27 years old. Then give him the right for the fellowship right out of your house with a slap to go with it. But if you are allowing somebody to bring confusion disorder and chaos into your physical house you are coming under their authority instead of them coming under your authority.