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The Old Testament temple had three parts – the outer court, the inner court, and the innermost court. The innermost court was called the “inner sanctum” or the “Holy of Holies.”

Only the priest could go in there. Once a year, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the people. He would lift up a corner of the heavy veil and slip under. Then, he would sprinkle blood upon the Mercy Seat. If anyone went in without the blood, there was sudden death!

Hebrews 6:19-20 tells us “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever...” When the veil of the temple was torn at Jesus’ death, it was torn from top to bottom so no one would think a person did this. By His death, Jesus was saying that there were no more animal sacrifices necessary. Now, every believer can enter the Holy of Holies!

Have you been there today? It’s time to enter in and praise Him for sending His Son to make atonement for your sin. It’s time to bow before His mercy seat and thank Him for His grace towards you. It’s time to praise Him for He has saved you from eternal separation from God’s presence.

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 8.12. Live for God, on purpose, as we daily walk in the presence of our God!

Portraits of His Passion

This Sunday, as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, the sanctuary at WFA has been transformed into a courtyard in the center of Jerusalem! This will be the scene for a special dramatic presentation of the final days of our Lord here on earth, as the WFA Drama Team, led by TJ and Robyn LoVerde, share this year’s Easter presentation, “Portraits of His Passion.” With special music sprinkled throughout this dramatic portrayal, you will observe the interaction of the persons involved in this week of passion.

Be sure to arrive early, and bring your friends and family with you, as you won’t want to miss this tremendous Easter celebration!

Walking On
Pentecostal Pathways

WFA is a part of the Assemblies of God. And the Assemblies of God is a Pentecostal fellowship of believers in Christ. But, all too often, Pentecostals are known for only one thing – speaking in tongues. But, there is more to being Pentecostal than speaking in tongues!

The first Christians were unmistakably Pentecostal. In the only book of history in the New Testament, we find the dynamic accounts of these first-generation Pentecostal believers, and the detailed activities that made their ministry and walk in the Lord so dynamic.

What characterized these Spirit-filled believers, enabling them to reach their world for Christ – and more importantly, how can we walk on those same pathways? Beginning on March 30th, the Sunday following Easter, I will begin a new preaching series based upon select passages from the book of Acts, called “Walking on Pentecostal Pathways.” Here is a look at where we will be going:

March 30 - The Pathway of Prayer – Acts 3:1-16
April 6 - The Pathway of Persecution – Acts 4:1-22
April 13 - The Pathway of Participation – Acts 4:23-37
April 27 - The Pathway of Proclamation – Acts 8:1-24
May 4 - The Pathway of Personal Readiness – Acts 8:26-40
May 11 - The Pathway of Power (Pentecost Sunday) – Acts 9:32-43
May 25 - The Pathway of Principle – Acts 11:19-30

My prayer is that as we learn to walk down these “Pentecostal Pathways” that we will impact Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware, our nation, and this world, for the cause of Christ!

The Stranger Called Jesus

by Phillip William Allen

A stranger walked among the crowds
and everyone rushed to see
The man who promised an unending life
for the souls of you and me

Some they welcomed with opened arms
as he laid hands upon the sick
Those who harbored evil inside
brought out the stone and stick

Though he was doing his fathers work
displaying his love and will
Pontius knew priests were jealous of him
so he sent his men to kill

With Jesus and Barabbas side by side
a crowd was asked who’s freed
the one they chose did run away
and the other stayed to bleed

They placed this Jesus upon a cross
and thru sorrowed eyes he cried
While looking for help from his father above
the stranger wilted then he died

The priests they thought they were rid of him
no longer were they holding fears
Not realizing before a stone was rolled
he would rise and survive all years

The Passion of the Christ (Revisited)

by Greg Asimakoupoulos

He was barely able to bear his own cross.
How he stumbled as if he were lame.
Still the passion of Jesus was more than his stripes.
It was seen in his undying aim.

His passionate love for an indifferent world
drove the Savior to shoulder our shame.
But the torture he felt by accepting our guilt
far exceeded his mere human pain.

Forsaken. Abandoned. Estranged and accursed.
Such agony never there’s been.
The Son was cut-off from the Father of Lights
and eclipsed by the weight of our sin.

But come Sunday morning, the darkness was gone.
The One covered up like a seed,
was buried no longer. He burst forth with life.
Christ is risen! He’s risen, indeed!

That is How Much He Loves You!

“I could ask my Father for thousands of angels...and he would send them.” – Matthew 26:53 (TLB)

Isn’t it just bizarre how the cross has become a fashion accessory? After all, nobody would wear an electric chair ring, or a hangman’s noose earrings! But even though a lot of people have forgotten what the cross means that doesn’t mean it’s lost its power.

There will always be something uniquely special about the cross. And what better way to remember how much Jesus loves us. Beyond all the blood and the nails there is a simple shape, a horizontal beam showing how wide his love is, and a vertical beam showing how high and how deep his love is.

John’s gospel says, ‘God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NCV). It doesn’t say God loved only the famous or the fabulous or then we’d all be in trouble. No, if you live in ’the world’ you’re included by God!

Jesus didn’t have to die, He chose to! He told His captors, ‘I could ask my Father for thousands of angels... and he would send them instantly...’ As Max Lucado says, ’the force behind the hammer wasn’t an angry mob... the hand squeezing the handle wasn’t a Roman infantryman... the verdict... wasn’t decided by jealous Jews. Jesus himself chose the nails...’ That’s how much He loves you.

Make No Mistake

by Rocky Henriques

A Reuters news story (April 17, 2000) told of a 60-year-old Japanese shipbuilder in Tokyo who came home from a hard day at work to find his family busy making arrangements for his funeral.

It seems that earlier in the day, police had told the family that the man had been killed in a car crash, after people at the scene and his own brother-in-law wrongly identified the victim’s body as his.

Of course, the family stopped their funeral preparations and telephoned police to say the “dead man” had just walked into their living room.

“We obviously made a mistake in our identification procedures,” a police spokesman said.

There was no mistake: Jesus was crucified! There was no mistake: He died on the cross! There was no mistake: He was laid in a borrowed tomb! The news went out that Jesus was dead, and the hopes and dreams of His followers were crushed. But glorious morning! He arose! And there was NO mistake!

as seen in Rocky Henriques’ The Timothy Report, www.timothyreport.com, on March 17, 2008.

The Master Craftsman

Peter Cropper is a distinguished British violinist. His work is so outstanding that the Royal Academy of Music in London had honored him by lending him a priceless 258-year old Stradivarius. It is the dream of every violinist to be able to play such an instrument, but a terrible thing happened while Cropper was performing in Finland. He tripped and fell on top of the Stradivarius and broke it. Cropper’s pleasant dream was turned into a horrible nightmare. He was inconsolable.

Then a London violin dealer told him of a master craftsman who could repair the Stradivarius. To make a long story short, the repairs were so perfect they could not even be seen, and the soaring notes of the instrument were more beautiful than they had ever been before – all because the broken parts were placed in the hands of a master craftsman who then applied his healing touch.

Yes, Jesus Christ is the One for whom we have been looking. Something terrible happens, and our lives are broken. Then we turn them over to Jesus Christ who is the Master Craftsman of all time. He takes the broken pieces and puts them back together again, and we are better than new!

The Last Impression

During the children’s sermon on Easter Sunday morning at his new church, the pastor decided to see how much the children understood about Easter. As the group gathered together, he asked them to tell him just what Easter means.

One little girl bravely raised her hand, and then told the pastor that Easter is when a giant bunny brings candy for children. The pastor smiled, trying to hide his disappointment with the answer.

“Okay, how about another?” he asked. Little Billy then added his thoughts, saying “Easter is when all the children color eggs and the adults hide the Easter eggs and let the children participate in an egg hunt.” The pastor’s smile began to fade.

But then, all the way in the back, little Sara humbly raised her hand. “Yes, Sara?” the pastor said. And Sara began describing how Jesus carried the cross and then was crucified and then his body was put in a cave with a rock at the entrance.

“Good so far,” thought the pastor, but then Sara continued.

“Then on Easter Sunday, the boulder magically rolled away from the cave, Jesus was resurrected and stepped out of the cave and saw his shadow. He then knew there would be six more weeks of winter.”

Be sure to come prepared for a blessing as we join together in celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! This will be a day of victory here at WFA! Hallelujah! He is alive!