THE FRAGRANCE OF CHRIST
THE FRAGRANCE OF CHRIST
Sunday, June 13, 2021, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
This past Sunday evening at the service in my house, we experienced a “heavy weight of glory.” Bill and Dagmar Yount were our guest ministers. As has been our custom since we moved from Little White Church, we move the Sunday evening service to my home.
The fragrance of the presence of the Lord was coming over me in waves. The fragrance was so heavy, it was intoxicating.
Song 1: 12-14 (PT): As the king surrounded me, the sweet fragrance of my praise perfume awaked the night. A sachet of myrrh is my lover, like a tied-up bundle of myrrh resting over my heart.
Dagmar shared the following scripture:
e are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
We were flowing in the corporate anointing, i.e., the cluster. Songs were flowing from the sweet fragrance of praise perfume that awakened the night.
Isa. 65:8: Thus says the LORD, as the new wine is found in the cluster.
For some weeks, we have been singing the song, “New Wine.” “In the crushing in the pressing, you are making new wine. In the soil, I now surrender. You are breaking new ground.”
2 Co. 4:17-18: For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
In the past few weeks, after I preach, I find my body is struggling to carry the weight of glory that is being released. This is not unusual. I have always had to push for strength to carry the glory. This is one of the challenges of the church through the ages is to be able to carry the glory both spiritually and physically. Paul said: “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified (1 Co. 9:27).
I heard a recent message by Hank Kunneman. He said, a spirit of tiredness, weakness and exhaustion has been called out on the Body of Christ. He identified the warfare to be from the source of witchcraft. We know from the Word of God that in the last days, Satan will attempt to wear out the saints of the Most High (Daniel 7:25).
Prophet Kunneman prayed and took authority over witchcraft, but we must also continue to put on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Back to my story about Sunday evening. Before Marcella Chavez left, she handed me a birthday gift. I waited until everyone left to open the gift. To my absolute delight, it was a replica of the “Golden Altar, the altar of incense.”
1 Ch. 28:18: For the altar of incense, refined gold by weight, and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD.
When the work of the Tabernacle of Moses was finished, the children of Israel did according to all the Lord had commanded Moses. They brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings…the ark of the testimony, its poles and the mercy seat, the table, all its utensils and the showbread, the pure gold lampstand with its lamps (the lamps set in order), all its utensils, and the oil for light; the golden altar, the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, the screen for the tabernacle door; the bronze altar, its grate of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils… (Ex. 35: 10-19).
Everything in the Tent speaks of Christ, and of His people who are in union with Him. Nothing on earth could adequately portray and symbolize His glory. Each piece of furniture, materials and fabric symbolize some aspect of Christ’s glory.
On the website, I have an in-depth teaching on the Tabernacle of Moses, the Outer Court, Holy Place, Holy of Holies and Golden Altar (Rev. Ch. 8) and their fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
But today, I don’t want to get too far from my story of what the Lord revealed to me last Sunday evening.
Christmas 2020, Sonya West gave me a golden replica of the Ark of the Covenant, which I have displayed here today. On my birthday, May 15, 2021, Andy Valadez gave me a golden crown with rubies and crystal stones. (Rubies and crystal describe the throne and the foundation of New Jerusalem (Rev. 4:3; 21:20). Rubies are part of the description of the Heavenly Zion (Isa. 54:12.). Sunday evening, Marcella gave me a replica of the golden altar with a candle of incense that has a heavenly fragrance.
When I saw the golden altar, I knew it was a prophetic sign that corporately or we could use the metaphor of a cluster of grapes, we crossed into the Holy of Holies. This was one of the first commissions the Lord gave to me when I started the church in Texas, “Carolyn, I want you to lead my people up to my mountain.”
You will all remember the vision of the night the Lord gave to me before I started the church in Baton Rouge, “I heard the voice from the golden altar. ‘Carolyn, you have come so far, but with that one sin in your life, you will not cross the golden altar... You will miss my glory.”
Church, I believe we have corporately crossed that golden altar. We must be able to carry the glory corporately, but we must also be a fragrance of life to those who are perishing. We are redeemed to eternal life and intimacy with Christ on earth, but we are also redeemed that we can minister the life of Christ to those who are perishing. Once we have crossed that golden altar, there are no cliques. Do we like or dislike certain people? No! We are called to minister the life of Christ to those who are perishing.
2 Co. 2: 15-17: We are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.
Both apostles, Peter and Paul make it plain to us that our present bodies are known as “tents” or “tabernacles.” 2 Cor. 5: 1-4: We know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, and eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
That beautiful candlestick (the church) with seven glorious lampstands gives forth its shining testimony and light every day, but always under a tent, covered with skin. The golden table with its fresh bread to meet the needs of a hungry priesthood is no less a divine supply just because it, too is under skin.
The fragrance of the golden altar of incense pours forth its praises to a living God, not hindered by its temporal covering. So, it is for those who are filled with His Spirit. The glorious infilling of the Holy Ghost gives us perpetual joy so we continue to sing His praise. Wrinkles, poor hearing, dim eyes, and stiff joints do not prevent us from walking in the Spirit and telling others of the wonders of serving the true and living God.
Let the words of our mouth continually glorify and magnify Christ regardless of what is going on in this world around us.
By our name, the Eastern Gate, we are to reveal the glory of God to those to whom we are sent. Ezekiel was taken to the Eastern Gate and saw the glory of God. He watched as God’s glory filled the house of God, the glory of the gospel church.
Eph. 3:19: Amplified: That you may be filled (through all your being) unto all the fullness of God – (that is) may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself.”
We are saved to eternal life when we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior; but He came to earth that we may walk on earth in His glory. In these earthly bodies, God has planned to fill with the Glory of God until we shine with His Presence.
This glory is described in New Jerusalem, The Tree of Life, the Overcomer, the Kingdom of God, the Elect, the Church without spot or wrinkle, Mt. Zion, and Ezekiel’s Temple.
In Revelation 22: 14-15, we are told those who will not enter into His Glory: Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, sorcerers, whoremongers, murderers, idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.
But let me stay focused of our blessing of the prophetic sign of the golden altar.
The golden altar was placed before the “most beautiful Veil” which was the entrance into the Holy of Holies. Our eyes are so filled with the beauty of the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy Seat, and the cherubim that we hardly notice that over our heads and behind the Cloud of His Presence, we are still covered with skin. There were no rugs to cover the ground and protect the Ark from the sandy desert. there was no granite ceiling to hold back the storms that struck in the wilderness journey. God was pleased to let His fulness, His Shekinah Presence, dwell in a room covered with skin. But it was behind the Veil, in the Most Holy Place.
Many can picture themselves behind the Veil, in His presence, but in a glorified eternal body. Not so! Not yet! That will come later. The Lord is bringing a pioneer company of saints, the Overcomer, who will be walking on this earth in a “tent” body of clay and minister from the realm of the Most Holy Place.
Rev. 8: 3-5: Another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the Lord. And the smoke of the incense which came from the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.”
In the Seven Thunders of God by: Van Tanner, he asked a question on page 79? “Will you be a dispenser? If so, count the cost. To be a dispenser (Vial) we must keep (live by) the words of this book. We must let the fire burn away the carnality of our life through sacrifice and obedience to Christ.
The Ark is the THRONE. Jesus is the High Priest at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 7:25; 9:24; 1 Jn. 2:1-2). Prayer and praise were CENTRAL to His ministry. Also, those OVERCOMERS who will sit with Him in His Throne have lives centered in prayer and praise---their ministry of incense will overcome the Veil of FLESH.
Preached and taught by: Carolyn Sissom, Pastor, Eastgate Ministries Church
Scripture from K.J.V.; I entered into the labors of Tabernacle of Moses by: Kelly Varner; quotes from The Seven Thunders of God by: Van Tanner; Vision was given to Carolyn Sissom; Tent to Temple by Bill Britton. Golden Censer at the Golden Altar by Carolyn Sissom 4/5/2009. Comments and opinions are my own and not meant to reflect the views from whom I gleaned.