Within The Human Temple Lies a Sanctuary

Many are the gatherings that we people of faith attend by which we can set our minds on the things of God. What types of gatherings would these be? A bible study would be one example; coming together for prayer and praise; even a Christian concert can cause one to ponder the wonders of the Lord and His kingdom to come. And certainly we can think of other such events. But when we think of them we find that most are of such a nature that they really don’t require much patience or discipline on our part. There is however one way in which we’ll experience His presence that does indeed demand these virtues. It is a way set apart from every other, and in a place seated high above all the rest. Yet it is here that believers struggle most to talk to and think upon their Maker.

If you’re familiar with the scriptures, you’ve heard of this place. Albeit, in our day it has become altogether changed. Though in Old Testament times you knew never to enter there, unless you were the high priest of Israel. And by now you may have guessed that I speak of the inner sanctuary of the temple – back then, the feared and dreaded holy of holies. Jehovah’s servant had good reason to fear the sacred room behind the curtain. If while in there he was found displeasing to the Almighty One of heaven and earth, it could have resulted in the loss of his life.

Be glad! It’s a new day; it’s a new day and a new covenant has now replaced the old. Today, our body is the temple in which God dwells. And by His Spirit He resides in the very center of that temple – that is to say, the heart, our innermost sanctuary and most holy place. Now it is this sacred chamber where the believer meets with Him. We have become the priest. It is we now who minister to the Lord there. The offering up of the body of Christ for sin has made the old sanctuary obsolete, the miraculous tearing of its curtain signifying this. It is we today who have gained access to the Father through the work of the Son. And the work being of an eternal nature, grants us access to Him forever. No longer is it a place to be feared. On the contrary it is where David’s beautifully penned words become realized: “You show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

It is this secret and hidden and holy sanctum of our inner being where we come to intimacy with God. Once it was a room defined by ritual. When this was ended there was nothing left for the priest to do but depart. Yet today we can remain in the sanctuary as long as we desire, while basking in His love. Once it was for a single man, and then only one time yearly. But in the new day of His marvelous grace, it is for every child of God, and we may enter as often as we will. Once it was merely in part, having only to do with the blood of animals and a priest yet unregenerate in his spirit. But today all has been cleansed by the blood of the Son, and we who enter are born of God and robed in white.

But as I’ve already stated, as much as it offers, it is here where believers struggle most to have communion with their Maker. When in a group, we seem to not have trouble with this. Freely we are able to sing, pray, worship, and have ourselves a time in the Spirit. But when there is only the Father and His child – even as it was when the high priest entered - we may be at a loss for words; our minds begin to turn to things outside the holy place; our eye is on the clock, wishing the hands would speed up. Yet our heavenly Father cherishes these moments.

To be clear and to the point, it is this inner chamber that can be likened to the room where a husband and wife become intimate; where a knowing of one another takes place. Except now it is not in the flesh as with a man and a woman, but in the Spirit. Now the two, becoming one, occurs with the God of the universe and His most beloved creation. As a holy communion unfolds, there begins a merging of spirits. And so, we may venture into places in Him where we have never before been. Also we may open doors within ourselves where we have never allowed Him to enter. Such a time with the Father can only result in the heights and depths of abundant life – life that none but the Spirit can bring. And nothing beyond the walls of this sanctuary can rise above the love we come to know there.

In the Holy Scriptures there can be found metaphors of all types. The tree is used several times, teaching us of various truths. But I feel the Lord has shown me of another truth that the tree can convey, making more clear the topic that I’ve brought to light. I believe that the tree speaks to us, not only of our relationship with the Father, but also with all of His children, and then the Spirit who empowers. Let’s begin with the trunk. The trunk of the tree is our holy place, who neither I nor anyone can describe while rendering it its due worth. It is here that we live out our personal union with the Most High, both in this life and the life that’s to come. But then there are relationships with the rest of the family of God to be considered – an offspring amazing and vast in number. Here is where the branches come in. And so, from the trunk the Spirit takes us outward and upward into a new and different and marvelous kind of light. Now the many offshoots of the Lord reach beyond where the eye can see, each with their own glory, their own place, and their own measure of celestial life, granted them by the Spirit. As we venture wherever we’re inclined, we give unto others from what the Father has bestowed upon us; a portion of us is implanted in them; we also receive from those who we have touched, so that our person likewise is added to. Thus the Spirit of Christ has caused us to bear fruit in one another, strengthening even more a divine kinship. This too is abundant life.

As fantastic as the relationships between all of God’s children will be, the truth is that it all goes back to the holy place. For it is here that we become bound together with the Bestower of every good gift. Here is where we meet with Him alone, where never another can enter. And as it goes in the inner chamber, so will it go when we leave there. If when with our heavenly Father, we draw near, so that He rains upon us great grace and goodness and glory, then it will be of this fullness that we will shower others – those who are among the thriving boughs of the tree He has planted. And so, it is all traced back to one’s most holy union with the Father.

In all of this, where in the tree would the Spirit be portrayed? The Spirit is the tree’s immortal roots, mightily administering all of the goodness of God – Life and Strength; Wonder and great Joy; Glory, Love, and Peace in all of their entirety.

Lastly there is the Son who walks ever with us through it all, loving us with the same love that drove Him to His cross. For it is He and no other, who standing before us becomes an open door to the King of all creation – the King who now becomes abba Father to all who have entered by way of the fallen, yet risen One; the mortal, now immortal; the onetime slaughtered Lamb, but the Lion reigns forever. He is the Way and we are the seekers. We are the sheep and He is our Shepherd. And through ages unending He will be the highly celebrated Christ and King among the innumerable branches in the Great Tree of Life.


- J.Pecoraro

The Grand Slam

A thief it was on first base;
A killer on base two;
An adulterer was stuck on third;
The fans could only boo.

Then Jesus stepped up to the plate;
A fast and tricky pitch was thrown;
It couldn't fool the cleanup man;
He brought the sinners home!


- J. Pecoraro

The Old Grows Cold, But The Pot Stays Hot

God is always cooking up new things for us; it’s His joy. And so, memories may be cherished, but we must keep them in their place, lest they subdue us. We have all heard of people who spend much of their time reliving the past. The reasons for this can vary. Perhaps they are getting up in years and don’t see much of a future ahead. Possibly tragedy has hit; both the present and the future now look bleak. Then there are those who are just overly sentimental by nature. What’s listed above is often described in such terms as: “prisoners of the past,” “quitters,” “sentimental fools,” etc. But what they all have in common is that they have come to settle for yesterday’s bread.

It was the ancient Hebrews who quickly learned of the problem with yesterday’s bread. For the first time in over four hundred years Israel had become a free people. But where would such a great number now find the food needed to sustain them day after day until they came into the Promised Land? For all who can conceive of it, their God would miraculously provide it for them. “I will rain bread from heaven for you,” Jehovah said to Moses. And it happened as He said. The bread would come upon their camps in the early morning. However with this heavenly bread there came a stipulation. The people only had so many hours in which to eat it. In other words, one of the first laws instituted for the new nation under God was: No eating old bread. Nevertheless many of them neglected the command and let the bread remain past the time allowed. Also they went out to gather it on the seventh day – the day they were instructed not to gather it. Yes, it appears that from the beginning they were an obstinate bunch.

Many have been the times when I’ve heard a believer say words such as these: “With all the miracles that the people in the wilderness witnessed, how could they have doubted and disobeyed as they did?” My answer would be that we see and hear Him in greater ways today - or so we ought to - and we doubt and disobey even as did the Hebrews. Would it surprise you to know that the Almighty is still raining bread from heaven? It has never stopped. And would you believe that like the ancients, we too have it remain past its time? In other words, we too have a thing for old bread.


But what exactly is this bread that He sends His children today? It is Jesus. Did Christ himself not say, “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world… I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” But how do we receive this food and this drink, the body and the blood of our Lord? It is in the form of the written Word that we receive Him. Listen to what His disciple John penned: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” And so, when we receive into our hearts and our minds the written Word, we receive the bread which comes down from heaven, Jesus Christ our Lord. There is one thing however that the church has failed to grasp. Simply it is this. Jesus ever comes to us new and fresh - that is to say, at the time the old bread is no longer edible. Yet we commit the same wrongs and have the same lack of faith as the Israelites. We store Him up and neglect what has arrived in our new season. Why? The answer isn’t difficult. The old bread is already handy. It is more accessible than the new that has just fallen fresh from heaven. We may understand that the old will not be as beneficial to the believer as what has come anew, but that’s okay by us. It’s okay because we have grown quite familiar with what is now past its time; we’ve come to know it well. Therefore it will never surprise us, find us unprepared for it, or possibly even shock us. Fresh bread from heaven has a tendency to sometimes do these things. Still, our heavenly Father knows the nutriments each of us needs for the continued growth and well-being of our spirit man.

Or let’s learn a lesson from our lives in the flesh. All of us know that when newborns come into the world, they can feed on nothing more than the mother’s milk, or its equivalent. After some time they’re able to take in baby food. From there they graduate to certain table foods. Then before we know it they’re eating meat right along with the rest of us. It is pretty much the same with one who becomes born of God. What I’m saying is that our God has more than just milk and some easy to chew table foods in mind for us. Eventually He desires for us to partake of a little meat. For the more complete the diet of our spirit man is, the stronger and healthier we will become. The stronger and healthier we become, the more fit we are to take up our weapons of war and efficiently utilize them.

Still, many are the people of faith who never imagine themselves ingesting anything beyond milk and some light foods. And so, their weapon and the armour they become clad with are not of the greatest quality, yet it is all that they can bear; too light in weight perhaps; not very able to protect, or to strike a significant blow with. However, God in His mercy and loving-kindness towards His children often lifts up a standard against their foes, lest they be destroyed. But then there are those who have become strong and wise for reason of how they partake of the Lord in the food and drink He offers them. These are likely to do well in the battles they engage in. Yet they must never come to believe that they have done enough; that they have gone the distance; that they can put down the sword and rest. As long as we walk in the shoes of our mortal man, the Lord ever looks to do something new in us. Never does He tire of equipping His soldier with a new weapon, teaching him of a new strategy, or having him climb a mountain that he thought to be too great. You see, all of the above are much like the food and drink we take in. He would have them to be new at every new season of our lives, always benefiting us in newer and greater ways.

Every believer who is resolute and steadfast in their God, fully devoted to the carrying out of His will – to them the darkness becomes real. Rightly do they discern that there is an unseen enemy who moves about. His arrow can sow in them a lie if they are not careful; his flaming darts, deception. The weapons of his warfare may in fact strike hearts with fear, discouragement, unbelief, gloom, unfounded suspicions, anger, and the list goes on. But the mighty One of heaven and earth has not left the sons and daughters of the kingdom without means. For them He has fashioned armour for their protection, and weapons by which they may attain victories. “And the weapons of our warfare,” writes the apostle, “are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds…” And what exactly is it that our Lord and Captain equips us with, that we may stand and not fall in the dark day? Simply it is the written Word. Even as this same Word serves as food for our spirit man while we grow in spirit and truth, so does it serve for the weaponry that God provides us.

Why is it that the people of faith have an enemy so bent on their destruction? It is because he is a hater of God, and all that is good. And so it only follows that he hates all who are loved of God, and love Him in return. His senses are not dull but keen. These he puts to use while he fully devotes himself to the task of learning all about us, of coming to know us well. Sad to say, he may outshine the believer in what he has been called to. What is his top priority? It is to know our strengths and our weaknesses. He then directs his attacks at the areas where he sees we are vulnerable. But for this we have a shield. The shield is our faith. It is able to intercept lies - those flaming arrows - before they find their aim. Now we counter with the sword. Our sword is the Word of truth, but now a specific word that has come to us for the present danger, so that we may expel the lie intent on bringing us down. Yet the word that He sends us we must believe in our hearts, in order for us to emerge victorious in the conflict. And such is the nature of spirit warfare.

There is however a common misunderstanding that so many of us have when it comes to the use of what He has equipped us with. We somehow feel that the sword that’s been put into our hand is the one we will fight with till the end of our pilgrimage in this foreign land; we believe that a word or a concept He’s unfolded to us has been given that we may wield it against the darkness for as long as our warfare goes. After all, it came to us so alive and with power. In a mere breath so great a victory was wrought by it. But would it surprise you to know that it may have only been given for a day, perhaps an hour, or only for a moment? But the moment was crucial. When afterwards we tried to employ it, it was awkward, strange to our hand, no longer able. But we thought it best for the weapon to remain on our person, since we continually cherished the memory of its victory, though now it only served to weigh us down. “Abandon it!” exclaimed the Lord. “It is no longer useful. It has become cankered; the weapon has fulfilled its purpose. I have new things for you. Put away the weapons of the warfare of long ago and I will do a new thing with you. Throw out the old manna with its worms. Drink of the new wine. And I have meat for you to eat that you know not of. I desire to fashion for you a sword that you have never before seen, a greater armour than what you have known. I will cut out for you a path that you have never trod, and bring you to a mountain that will amaze you. Yes, and there are deeper wells to drink from, so that springs of living water will ever gush forth from within you.” Such is the longing of the Lord for His own.

Even as He takes the children from faith to faith, its increase knowing no end; or as He brings them from glory to glory until they shine forth like the Son, so He works in the lives of His elect concerning all things. It is then not meant for us to stop in one place for too long, or to become attached to a thing beyond the time it was intended for us. The old at some point becomes no longer profitable for where He is about to take us. A new day has come. A new region lies before us. Yet to move from one path onto another
is rarely if ever a smooth transition. But if we refuse the Spirit’s bidding to follow, it is at that point that the adventure ends. It is then that we’ll gradually sink into a spiritual stupor. We’ll become overly fond of past experiences and speak often of them. Now we are content to just sit and bide our time until we go home to be with the Lord. It sounds very peaceful and rewarding, we must admit. But is this a picture of one who has finished the race? Unless I’m wrong, I would think that comes upon the drawing of our last breath. I’m sure that Caleb of old would have agreed. I say this because he was still seeking to do battle – and then with giants - when he was a whole generation older than the rest of Israel’s army.

I wonder. Even with the ushering in of the kingdom in its fullness, will the development of our person simply cease? Or could it be that we will always come to know Him at greater heights and depths? Will we not ever search Him out? Will not knowledge and understanding ever increase towards Him who is Himself unending? And the delight of the new wine – will it never cease to be made new in us? The Word of God, the Bread of Life – will He not be our sustenance forever in all these things?

Where then do boundaries lie in the things that God has planned? I imagine there would be no place for them. That is, unless we choose to stop and set them up. But that would never change the fact that He is from Everlasting to Everlasting. And continuously He calls out to tell us so. We then should never stop seeking, following, hoping or believing, for the end of Him is nowhere to be found. And so, ever does He turn our way, bidding us always to come and dine.

- J. Pecoraro

The High And The Holy

How can there be not the High and the Holy?
Yet the Darkness declares this is true.
But if there were not the High and the Holy
Then skies could never be blue.

All thru the day they’d cry down the raindrops.
They’d send blasts of thunder all thru the night,
If there were not the High and the Holy
Who lights up His worlds so bright.

But this cries aloud for the High and the Holy;
It tells He could only be True:
If we look deep into the core of our being,
There’s a spark of His Spirit in you.

Atheism? C'mon

For every class there is a Teacher,
Or who would ring the bell?
Before each flock there goes a Shepherd
With much Good News to tell.

Every team demands a Coach,
Or who makes the decision?
One Man leads a nation.
In him we look for vision.

Chief Executive Director.
The very name inspires dread.
Even every human body-
At the top there is a head.

Now what about the universe?
Let the bells not ring.
Over worlds of light unending,
They say there is no King.

Not The Miracle But The Sacrifice

Throughout the late sixties and into the seventies, my best friend’s older brother would often witness to me about the Lord. This went on for six years. Over that long period of time my answers to him were, “no,” “still no,” and “you can stop now.” But he never did stop. Then on April 21st of 1973 I finally broke down and surrendered my life to Christ.

I’ll never forget one night when he first began to speak to me, how he really laid it on. He held my interest somewhat. And so, it was the following day at work, while on my morning break, that I had a very unusual experience. As I walked to the small grocery store nearby, and thought of what I’d heard the night before, I suddenly began to feel like I was about five feet above the pavement. The sensation was powerful. I was quite amazed at it all. I knew in my spirit that this had something to do with Dominic’s words to me. I then believed that God was showing me what it’s like when you become born again. My response was, “say no more, Lord; just sign me up!” Once inside the store I was feeling nothing less than invincible. I could barely take it all in. I had no reason to believe that these indescribable sensations would ever end. But they did end. As I returned to work, the bit of heaven that had fallen down upon me had very gradually begun to lift. I fought it tooth and nail, but the effort was in vain. Soon, and I could feel the hardness of the pavement beneath my feet again. As I entered my place of employment I had completely returned to my old self. I was crushed. However, I had gotten over it, passing it off as just some strange phenomenon. Sad to say, I went back on my commitment to the Lord. It would be another four to five years before I truly yielded my life to Him. In thirty-seven years as a believer I’ve never been quite as touched by the Spirit as on that day. But He lets me know that the best is yet to come.

Let me tell you of a friend I once worked with at Chicago’s city hall. His name was Luciano. He had come over from Italy. I was a new Christian at the time, and one day I decided to tell Luciano the gospel. He became very interested, but there were questions in his mind. I asked him if he’d like to talk to Dominic, who had now taken me under his wing. He was all for it. In fact, I believe he showed up there the same evening. I too went. The results were remarkable. Not only did Luciano get saved, but he was telling my friend and I of the great things that were going on inside him. He began pacing the floor and shouting aloud. Dominic had become moved, telling Luciano of how the Lord’s hand was on him in a tremendous way, and that he would do mighty things. I believe my Italian friend left there that night as high off the ground as I remembered someone else once being. Before I knew it, Luciano had gone out and purchased himself a five pound bible. He went marching all over downtown Chicago with it, telling people about Jesus. I was astonished over him. But then it began to happen, just like with me. With each passing day he seemed to cool down more and more. Finally he had returned to the same Luciano that I was introduced to some weeks before. He too had descended back down to earth. Tragic. My prayer is that the Lord, through His love and mercy, had at some time recovered him, even as He had done me.

Believe it or not, I have been introduced to millions more who have had the same experience as me and my friend Luciano. I was introduced to them through the book of Exodus. They are the entire Hebrew nation who once passed through the Red Sea on dry ground. When you talk about sensational happenings, what can top the miracle that the Almighty performed for His people on that day? Not only had they become a free nation for the first time in over four hundred years, but God had mightily interfered with nature in a way that the human eye had never witnessed. The people were no doubt beside themselves as they watched the waters cover the Egyptian army while they stood on safe ground. But when we read on, we discover that the thrill was soon gone. It wasn’t long and they were murmuring and complaining, as though the Lord had never lifted a finger on their behalf. How frail the spirit man can be. Must we ever see His hand at work, or otherwise live discontented? What’s the answer for this dilemma? Well, it hasn’t anything to do with what He reveals to us. It’s what we present to Him. And that happens from the altar - the altar of the heart. Romans 12:1 tells us to offer up the body a living sacrifice. In my opinion, few do this. We may say the words, but in reality offer Him a mere body part; a hand for instance, possibly an arm. Though I believe it is a rare occasion when God sees the entire body sacrificed. Such a one will not have to rely on the sensational to keep him on track. For in him the Lord plants everything needed for the victorious life. These rare few are of no common breed.

Every body of people set apart for a specific purpose can be divided into two groups. The larger group, for all intents and purposes, is the status quo. The second group is quite small. They are those who are of a different spirit. It was said about Caleb of old – and by his Maker – that he was of a different spirit. When Israel entered the Promised Land, he and Joshua were the only fighting men left from the generation before. That is to say that when the great majority of Israel’s army ranged from their early twenties to their late forties, Caleb was eighty-five years old, and still wielding the sword. As if that wasn’t enough, he asked Joshua to send him to the land where giants lived. What a spirit the God of Israel had put into His servant, in exchange for what I believe was the full offering up of himself.

The sensational? It is not God’s best. Neither will it be enough to keep us near to Him. But it is when He endows one with an excellent spirit. Then He has put all things into his hand. Of this I wasn’t aware when I walked five feet above the pavement. Nor did my friend Luciano understand. Neither were the Hebrews enlightened on this matter while crossing the Red Sea. But it’s men like Caleb who know the secret. It isn’t the miracle that He puts before us, causing us to stand with our mouths agape. It is what we put before Him. If it be the whole body, leaving nothing upon the altar, it is altogether precious in His sight. But what is left on the altar is in time swept away, never again to be recovered. The abandonment of the earthly man. Greater is this to God than all of heaven’s gold.


J. Pecoraro

Christ Our Champion

Among a race of fallen men
Stood One alone and Tall,
Who ran with God in paths untrod,
Twixt them there grew no wall.

He was a Stranger to our world.
Of that I need not tell.
His mission was to conquer giants-
These, sin and death and hell.

How would He war with three such foes?
Take sword and run them through?
For they were not of flesh and bone,
Who the Son was to undo.

In Spirit would the battle go,
So the enemy did err,
Taking nail and spear to run Christ through,
While laughing at the Fair.

Then they heard that it was finished,
But little did they know,
That when they drew the Precious Blood,
Life began to Flow.

It flowed out to the nations,
God's war plan from Above.
For Christ came not to win by might,
But by the Sacrifice of Love.

And soon the roar of battle ceased,
With wounds to both, it's said.
For the Son had bruised His heel
As He crushed the Serpent's head.

Victory over evil!
A New Prince upon the earth!
But for this Man and a Wondrous plan
There'd be no second Birth.

O Champion of the human race!
Who is likened unto You?
You heard the Call, You took the Fall.
And You'll make creation New.

J. Pecoraro