Hebrews 10:20 NIV
[20] by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,
Earlier I mentioned the part of this verse that speaks of us being able to enter the Most Holy Place through Jesus’s blood, here the author speaks of a living way being opened through the curtain by Jesus’s body. In the time of Jesus, and beginning in the days of Moses, there was curtain. This curtain was used as a veil to separate the outside world from the Holy Place of God. Only certain people could enter past the veil. Only certain people got to talk with God. It was a privilege and an honor. It still is even if we don’t view it as such anymore.
When Jesus died the sky went dark, there was a loud Crack like thunder, and the veil was torn. Suddenly we were able to cross the threshold into God’s court. Any of us. All of us. Can now stand before the living God. Because of His blood we are able to enter God’s holy place, because of Hos body was can cross past the curtain into God’s sanctuary.
This makes me think of the scene from BenHur. If you haven’t already, I recommend reading the book. The only movie that didn’t miss the important stuff was the one with Charleston Heston. And even that doesn’t match the book. Anyway. There is that moment in Ben Hur when Jesus dies and Judah Ben Hur’s sister and mother, who had come to see Jesus to be healed from leprosy but hadn’t gotten there before the cross, they have to hide in a cave because a massive storm sets in after Jesus gives up His spirit. The wind pounds and the rain soaks them and they feel things in that moment can’t get worse. Then the look at each other and see that they are both healed. Jesus died so that even if we can’t see Him and touch Him physically, we can still he healed. Healed from more than our leprosy, healed from more than our blindness. Now we are healed from our sins and are reconciled to God. Because He was beaten, buried and rose, we can enter into God’s presence and talk to Him as to a friend. We were worthy of punishment, but Jesus gave His body so that we could be unworthy of grace and still receive it. This is the body we enter through.
Tag: adored
Prophesies
What child is this?
Prophesies. Prophesies ushered in the birth of Jesus. Prophesies helped people understand who He was. Prophesies told of His death and resurrection. Prophesies are in part why the Wise Men walked across the desert to find a baby. Prophesies, Prophesies and more Prophesies.
Yet not all believed the fulfillment of the Prophesies. Many still don’t. Even now as we look around our world we are seeing the answers and fulfillment of Prophesies from the Bible and from true God seeking men and women from a later date. But do we believe that they are happening? Don’t we mock when we hear someone shout ‘Repent! He is coming soon!’
So. What about those Prophesies?
What child is this reminds us of the fulfillment of Prophesies. We have seen time and again when God spoke and answered. If we are going according to the past then I would say we should be listening for the trumpet because the Prophesies are being fulfilled.
If we are going by modern thinking, then there are no Prophesies and we can live as we like. But people who say that are already deceived, there are too few Christians these days who stand strong and preach the gospel, too few who have faith enough to hear when the angels speak and say ‘I am the Lord’s servant.’ We want to be royals, not subjects, and do to this we fall into false truth and spread it to the masses.
We promote positive thinking and speaking your words to the air so the blessing returns to you. This is not Christian. We never remind people to Repent, or dare to mention that a second coming is true and that He is already on the move. If God fulfilled the Prophesies in Isaiah about a Virgin giving birth to God’s son, and about that son being slain for the sins of men and women, and then rising again to conquer death. Why do we doubt the prophet’s claims that Jesus will return with the armies of Heaven and vanquish all evil once and for all?
What child is this? He’s the perfect lamb, the conquering king, and my Savior.
Seek Him openly
Seek Him openly
Last weekend I was at our Church camp. I go every year. Since the pandemic (and I’m not blaming the pandemic itself) camp has been a little hallow. Where we used to hear messages from the Lord and saw people being healed and set free we now were interrupted by tye other christians who were skipping church to roar around near by on their quads and seadoos. Fine to do when service isn’t on. The alters were empty at the end of services and many of the seats were empty throughout. I thought that perhaps these two years were a shift that would mark the new normal in our Churches. Then this year came. The services were packed, the bikes out front of the kid’s chapel were so many you could hardly see grass. The alter was full at the end of the services and children of their own choosing came forward to pray. They prayed for others, they knelt by the alter with their Bibles clutched in their hands, teenagers went to the front to seek and anointing from God. It was marvelous! It was like God was saying, “this is the true shift. This will be the new normal.” Where even five years ago you would mostly see older people seeking God and standing for prayer, now we see people who are so young they are coming from kid’s church where they get to watch puppet shows to stand at the alter of the main tabernacle and give their souls to Jesus. No one coaxing them or calling them forward, just a longing to be there, nearer to the heart of God, seeking Him openly. Let us pray that we see more of this, a great revival coming forward as the Holy Spirit spreads afresh through our people. We can’t be good deciples unless we are filled and refilled by Him.
I am a sinner, but I leave that all behind me and choose to follow the third man on the hill, the one the people call Jesus.
We are all the two thieves. We’ve either asked Jesus to remember us or we have mocked Him by not believing Him. The two thieves were a physical example of the two paths to take. A sinner set free by the blood of the Lamb – or a sinner still attached to his/her cross. You can choose to follow Jesus to Paradise or you can choose to stay the way you are. He leaves the decission up to you. But only one road leads to Heaven. Only one way takes you away from death eternal. Jesus is the only way- the choice is up to you.
With Him in the garden
‘Today is my day to sorrow’, thought the tiny flower growing beside a rock. ‘Last night a great trouble came over me as a man, or something more than a man, sat by my side and wept. His tears were so great that when they splashed upon me I felt sick and my roots were weakened. I tried to reach out to the man, but I am just a flower and cannot draw attention to myself like a bird can with her song. He cried and screamed and begged and pleaded, but no peace came to this man. I hoped that He would look at me and I could make Him smile. He left and then returned, even sadder when He came back. All I could do was sit with Him. Then I sensed a resolve in His being and He went to stand once more. He stumbled and His hands landed near me. I tried to be radiant to bring Him comfort, finally He saw me, He smiled very gently, then He rose to His feet. “Thank you my radiant flower.” He said, then He left.
I feel that something great and tragic happened that night. Today I feel as though a friend is calling out for mercy. Today I feel sad. But being a flower, I know that tomorrow will bring new joy and hope.’
Doing for others who won’t do for you
Doing for others who don’t do for you.
Do unto others… yep, we’ve all heard that over and over and over again until it’s too much. Funny thing is, the only one who ever said to love your neighbor as yourself who I have actually seen do so Himself was Jesus. Usually I find the one shelling out the do unto others line is the person who wants something from you, but when the roles are reversed that same person can’t be bothered to consider you a neighbor. Sounds familiar huh?
But no matter how many times I read Jesus’s words I can’t find the loop hole that would fix this problem, the loop hole that I have often put in myself in my actions, the one that says to only treat your neighbor as yourself if that neighbor will do the same for you. That feels right, doesn’t it? Maybe Jesus intended to say that but forgot? I mean, who would make you treat well someone who is a leech?
Oh, right, the same one who says love your enemies, He’s the one who would make us be good to those who aren’t good in return. It’s really hard. People who want to take from you but you rarely give back are some of the hardest people to deal with. At least you feel a little good about yourself when you do something kind for an enemy, but when you’re giving out to a bad neighbor it just makes you feel like a door mat.
Jesus however, never gave a command He didn’t follow Himself. To the point of suffering and death He did unto others as He would have them do unto Him, exept He knew full well that most of them wouldn’t do the same for Him; many wouldn’t even stop hating Him. The martyrs did for Jesus what He did for them, but how many more gave in to the politics and force of the rulers around them to save their own lives? Jesus knew we wouldn’t do the same for Him, yet He still walked the road to the cross. So next time I have to give to those I know won’t give back without a fuss, I hope the Holy Spirit reminds me that Jesus gave His life for me, knowing I would fail Him everyday. It’s not about give and take, as much as it hurts sometimes, it’s really all about give and wait for your reward in Heaven, which you earned because of someone who gave for you.
Down that road is where I long to be.
There’s a road that keeps on calling me.
The pathway of tears, the road of sorrows, the Via Delorosa; the road has many names and titles, yet it always leads one place, to the cross. Oh I don’t mean the Spiritual Cross. I mean the literal cross. The worst part about anything you are dreading is the leading up to it; the road to your school or office, the hall to the doctor’s office, the first signs of a cold. You know what’s coming, and you dread it, yet you are given no choice and must walk down the path to where you are supposed to be. Many walked this road carrying crosses. Only one held no sin. Many felt the pain and shame and fear of going down that road, only one went down it by choice. Many were nailed to crosses to pay for their crimes, only one was nailed to a cross to pay for my crimes, and the crimes of all those who would choose to lay their sins aside and follow Jesus.
There’s a road that keeps calling me. The road to the cross. Yet when I stand on that hill I am not accused, because I gave my life to Jesus and He paid my debt for me.
Hands
Hands
Our hands do so much and they are unique to each person. I don’t just mean because of our hand lines or gen codes. They are unique i what they do. My nana had hands that were often found playing the organ, crocheting or holding a cup of hot tea. My dad’s hands are usually found doing the work I don’t want to do like cleaning the barn, they can also be found gripping a tennis raquet or an old book. Mom’s hands are always working, dishes, laundry, meals and not just for her own household; they are also happy holding a hot cup of tea or a good book, but are happiest in the dirt of the garden or trimming flowers. Poppa’s hands are always covered in dirt from working in his shop or with his welder, that’s when they aren’t hugging his Bible or typing up sermons. My dog’s paws are even unique to him, not many dog toes are found in kayaks and climbing through hay bales. Our hands speak of our personalities, hobbies and jobs. They speak of our passions and what we love and who we love- my hands are often covered in animal hair because they are often touching my dog or horse, so they say, ‘yep, she’s nuts about her fur family.’
Jesus’s hands told His story too, they still do. Hard and calloused from His work as a carpenter and His time tenting during His ministry. Yet gentle enough that a colt would let Him touch him. Strong enough to lift a hammer, soft enough to be pierced by a nail. If Jesus stood before you and held out His hand you would know it was Him instantly because no one else would have His scars. Funny how everyone in Heaven is healed, except Jesus; His wounds remain as a reminder to us of His passion, job, personality, what He loves and who He loves. We are all in His hands.
His prayer for us
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
John 17:20-26 NIV
Right before He was arrested and about to be sent to His death, the last thing Jesus did was pray this prayer for us. Not thinking of Himself, right to the final hour, we were who was on His mind.
My precious treasure
Lent day 8
I rejoice in your word, like one who discovers a great treasure.
I saw this today on facebook. I didn’t look at which passage it was and now can’t find it so forgive me for that.
Treasure. What a strange thing it is. We covet treasure and search for it and cling to it. Treasure is something greatly cared for and longed for. We treasure our family. We treasure our spouse. But do we treasure God? Do we treasure His word? When you think of who you could not live without, where does God fall on that list? We played a game once as a family. If you could only keep three books that you owned which three would they be? My mom immidiately said the Bible, she knew that she needed the word of God above all else. Now imagine a world where the Bible meant death if you carried it, so you hid it under your clothes and shared it with great caution, but you kept it despite it’s dangers because you cherish it. Some people in other countries are forced to do this. People who will have the biggest mansions in Heaven, because they have loved God the most. I don’t know if that’s true, God probably gives the same mansion size to everyone, but I think it would be fair if God gave them more. We are so used to freedom that we don’t cherish it, but I fear a day is coming when we will have to hide our Bibles too. Will we? Do we treasure the word of God? Do we seek after it like a precious Jewel and write it on our hearts? Is God precious to you?
Carried in the cross 