The Blood of Jesus--Rev. Mark Hankins Part One

Tonight was the first night Rev. Mark Hankins was preaching at Living Word Christian Church. Wow, I came away with so much! I am very eagerly anticipating the next two nights! As I said in my previous post, I will be coming home each night and posting about the meeting. There is no possible way I can share with you everything that happens in a three hour meeting, so I will share the thing or things that stood out to me most.

As always, we start our services with praise and worship. I love praise and worship. To me, there is nothing like entering into the presence of God during corporate praise and worship! After our first praise and worship, Rev. Mark Hankin's wife Trina got up and sang of couple of songs, and then we had some more praise and worship! Good stuff I tell ya!

Then, I was excited to find out that the next three nights Rev. Mark Hankins is going to be preaching on the Blood of Jesus! Hallelujah! Unfortunately, so many churches have been issuing statements that they are no longer going to be preaching about the Blood, singing about the Blood, or mentioning the Blood at all. They don't want to offend anyone by talking about the Blood. But the Bible says that without the shedding of Blood there is no remission of sin!

Hebrews 9:22 (NKJV)

²² And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

The Blood of Jesus is more precious than silver or gold. It was the perfect sacrifice that paid the price once and for all. It is through the Blood of Jesus that we are able to enter into the Holiest--the very presence of God.

Hebrews 10:19-22 (NKJV)

¹⁹ Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, ²¹ and having a High Priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

When the Blood of Jesus is applied, we receive boldness to enter the Holiest. This is for every single believer. Under the old covenant, only one could enter in to where the presence of God was, and that was the high priest--and according to Rev. Mark Hankins he did it scared! In case anyone is unfamiliar with what I am referring to, I will give a brief explanation. Before the new covenant was made in the Blood of Jesus, people were under the Law, or the old covenant. This covenant required that each year the people of Israel (worshippers) would come to the temple and a lamb would be sacrificed for their sins. The lamb had to be perfect, without blemish, or without spot. The priest would examine every single inch of that lamb to make sure that it was free of disease and without defect in any way. The high priest would then slay the lamb, and collect every drop of that lambs blood to take it into the innermost part of the tabernacle where the ark was kept and where the presence of God was. He would then offer that blood on the mercy seat for his sins and for the sins of all the people (worshippers). Because God cannot be in the presence of sin, if the priest did anything wrong, he would drop dead. They would actually walk in with a rope tied around their ankle in case this happened! The Bible says that this practice was only a shadow of the good things to come.

Hebrews 10:1-5 (NKJV)

¹ For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. ² For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. ³ But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. ⁴ For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

This passage shows that if the animal sacrifice was perfect and complete, then the worshippers would have no more consciousness of sins or in other words, they would have had no more guilty feeling. But these sacrifices were only a continual reminder of their guilt, because it is not possible for the blood of animals to take away sins or sin consciousness.

We have a better covenant, but you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at some Christians! Why? Because they don't know how to apply the Blood of Jesus. When the Blood of Jesus is applied, it brings boldness (check Hebrews 10:19 again) because it is a perfect sacrifice that takes away the sin and the sin consciousness. The Father wants us to be rid of this sin consciousness, because people who feel guilty do not feel worthy, and they do not come boldly to His throne to receive mercy and grace to help in time of need. Above all things, the Father wants to have fellowship with us, He in fact wants it more than we do.

What stood out to me the most tonight was when Rev. Mark Hankins pointed out that during the times under the Law when the worshippers approached and the sacrifice was made, it was not they who were examined. It was the sacrifice that was examined.

When we approach the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus, it is not we who are examined, but the sacrifice. The perfect sacrifice of the Blood of Jesus.

Approach boldly my brothers and sisters in Christ!