Knowing the Father

I want to share some thoughts with you about something that's been on my heart lately and that is not only our relationship with Jesus, our Savior, but with The Father. Let's face it, "knowing" God can be a little intimidating and confusing. Let's look at this scripture below and hear what Jesus has to say about it.

Version: NAS

John 14:6-15

6. Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. 7. "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." 8. Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." 9. Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and [yet] you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, 'Show us the Father '? 10. "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11. "Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me; otherwise believe on account of the works themselves. 12. "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. 13. "And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14. "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do [it]. 15. "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

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20 Cans of Success

The world knows that there is power in positive thinking. Countless books and infomercials are testimony to that concept. Yet as believers in Jesus Christ, we can move beyond that doorway and walk into the Truth of God's Word.

Below are twenty scriptures that emphasize what we can do in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit. The following list was compiled by the author of Victory Over the Darkness, Neil Anderson. 

"Someone once said that success comes in "cans", and failure in "cannots". Believing that we can succeed at our Christian growth and maturity takes no more effort than believing that we cannot. So why not believe that we can walk in faith and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Let's believe that we can resist the temptations of the world, and that we can grow into maturity as a Christian.

The following 20 Cans of Success, taken from God's Word, will expand your knowledge of our faith-object, the Almighty God."

Twenty Cans Of Success

By: Neil Anderson

1. Why should I say I can't when the Bible says, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13)?


2. Why should I lack when I know that, God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)?


3. Why should I fear when the Bible says, God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7)?


4. Why should I lack faith to fulfill my calling knowing that, God as allotted to me a measure of faith (Romans 12:3)?


5. Why should I be weak when the Bible says that, the Lord is the strength of my life and that I will display strength and take action because I know God (Psalm 27:1; Daniel 11:32)?


6. Why should I allow Satan supremacy over my life when, He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4)?


7. Why should I accept defeat when the Bible says that, God always leads me in triumph
(2 Corinthians 2:14)?


8. Why should I lack wisdom when, Christ became wisdom to me from God and God gives wisdom to me generously when I ask Him for it (1 Corinthians 1:30; James 1:5)?


9. Why should I be depressed when, I can recall to mind God's lovingkindness, compassion, and faithfulness and have hope (Lamentations 3:21-23)?


10. Why should I worry and fret when, I can cast all my anxiety on Christ who cares for me (1 Peter 5:7)?

11. Why should I ever be in bondage knowing that, there is liberty where the Spirit of the Lord is  (2 Corinthians 3:17)?


12. Why should I feel condemned when, the Bible says I am not condemned because I am in Christ (Romans 8:1)?


13. Why should I feel alone when, Jesus said He is with me always and He will never leave me nor forsake me (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5)?

14. Why should I feel accursed or that I am the victim of bad luck when, the Bible says that Christ redeemed me from the curse of the law that I might receive His Spirit (Galatians 3:13-14)?


15. Why should I be discontented when I, like Paul, can learn to be content in all my circumstances (Philippians 4:11)?


16. Why should I feel worthless when, Christ became sin on my behalf that I might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21)?

17. Why should I have a persecution complex knowing that, nobody can be against me when God is for me (Romans 8:31)?


18. Why should I be confused when, God is the author of peace and He gives me knowledge through His indwelling Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:33; 2:12)?

19. Why should I feel like a failure when, I am a conqueror in all things through Christ (Romans 8:37)?


20. Why should I let the pressures of life bother me when, I can take courage knowing that Jesus has overcome the world and its tribulations (John 16:33)?



As you read these verses let God point out to you which ones He is speaking to you personally about. Look up the scripture and let Him fix it in your heart.

Click here to find the link so that you may copy them to keep personally. When I found these I was in deep depression, and reading these scriptures over and over gave me great confidence in God's Power and His great love for me. Even better to read them out loud, so that they go into our ears and our heart. I hope that you will find them equally as comforting.

My husband's mom is fighting a battle right now that is critical to her survival. About 4 weeks ago she made the long overdue decision with her sons, to have her husband of over 65 years placed in a facility for Alzheimer's patients. She is overwhelmed with grief and loneliness. We are stressing with her in deep compassion, to speak out the affirmative of God's Word. She is in a place where that is difficult for her to do. It grieves us, because we know the importance of giving each and every situation over to God. Our mindset and frame of reference can make all the difference in whether we can move forward in life, or if we give in, and succumb to the trials and emotions of whatever hurdles we face.

A while back I did a post on Praying God's Word, If you haven't read it, then you might like a little more in depth look on why this concept is such a blessing and help.

love, in Jesus,

Debra

quotes and concepts taken from

Victory Over the Darkness,

by Neil Anderson.

Down to Earth Faith

Coming back to our book study today in Victory Over the Darkness, I want to share 3 important facts about our everyday "faith". The author covers them so well, I'll take some passages and quotes from the book.
Each of these are aspects of our faith that maybe we are, or are not, aware of. I like breaking a concept down into the "nuts and bolts"; practical principles and ideas to help us get a better grasp of what "faith" really is.

1. Faith depends on it's object.


What happens when our faith in a person is shattered; a friendship, spouse, doctor, pastor? How do we react when someone we respect lets us down, or doesn't live up to our expectations? It can take years to re-build our faith in a person. It can hurt and scar us, and it can shatter our lives. I once had a pastor that said frequently that if we were looking to him as a faith object he would let us down. Guess what?...it didn't take long for that to happen. Men are men, and we all fail. So very true. We may not mean to let others down, sometimes through no fault of our own, sometimes because we lack character, but either way man in his humanity isn't a very reliable faith object.

God on the other hand, should be the source and foundation of our faith. This is where it becomes important to know God intimately. I've mentioned before how I was having faith about something and when it didn't happen when I thought it should, I was crushed. I felt like I couldn't trust God anymore. What I didn't know at that time, was that it wasn't God who had let me down. I didn't have all the facts and I had jumped to "faith conclusions". I learned a hard lesson about timing and attitude during that ordeal. It made me conscious about my faith being directed by and to God, and not the circumstance.

Version: NAS


Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday and today, [yes] and forever.


Numbers 23:19
"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

The fact that God never changes and that He is constant, is the reason He is eminently trustworthy. He is the great "I Am", the Alpha and Omega, first and last for eternity.


"If you have little knowledge about God and His Word, you will have little faith. If you have great knowledge of God and His Word, you will have great faith".



2. The depth of your Faith is determined by the depth of your knowledge of the object.


When people struggle with their faith in God, it's not because their faith-object is insufficient. It's because people have unreal expectations of God. They expect Him to operate a certain way or answer prayer a certain way; their way, not His.



Romans 10:17
So faith [comes] from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
 
And what does that mean?

Reading God's Word on a regular basis, letting it soak into your mind and heart. We won't have great faith if we don't read God's Word, the Bible. Participating in a Bible Study, daily Bible reading and prayer, Sunday School and church attendance. All these things should put us in a place to hear God's Word and meditate on it. This is foremost in our ability to have faith. We must hear and know what God is saying.


2 Peter 1:4
For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of [the] divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

2 Corinthians 1:20
For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; wherefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.

There are many many promises in the Bible, it's up to us to know them. This is where one of the small pocket books will help, "Promises for You" by Zonderman is one such book, you can order it on-line or at almost any Christian book store. It shows us the promises and helps us pray back God's Word.
 
"Believing doesn't make God's Word true, His Word IS true, therefore I believe it."
 
3. Faith is an action word.
 
James 2: 17-18
17. Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, [being] by itself. 18. But someone may [well] say, "You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

Matthew 14:25-31

25. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were frightened, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. 27. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." 28. And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 29. And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30. But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" 31. And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Without action there really isn't any faith. We can talk all day long about how we have faith in God, but the true test comes when we are in a situation that we have to choose; "Do I trust God in this"? I don't want to be a Spiritual Couch Potato. Someone who sits around while things need to be done. We know that there are daily matters that just take our ability to believe God for good. And to allow Him to be in charge.

I'm going to throw out a little challenge; an exercise. Let God show you where you can trust and have faith in Him for a particular situation. Don't think of it as asking for trouble. Maybe it's something that you are dealing with right now. Just let God lead and direct your faith. He'll show you how if you will only ask!

More on faith next time. Remember, if God is nudging you leave a comment or question, please do. I love to hear them and so does everyone else!

love in Jesus'

Debra

concepts and quotes taken from
Chapter 6, Victory Over the Darkness
by Neil Anderson

What's "Faith" Got to do with it?

Tina Turner might ask the musical question "What's love got to do with it?" but Biblically speaking, Faith seems to be another aspect of the equation. What does "Faith" have to do with our life, walking in the Spirit, and most important, living a life that is responsive to God's will?

Version: NAS

Hebrews 11:1-3
1. Now faith is the assurance of [things] hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2. For by it the men of old gained approval. 3. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please [Him], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

The entire chapter of Hebrews 11 is essential for our understanding about what "faith" really is. It chronicles many of the "heroes of faith" from the Old Testament. Take a few minutes and read it for yourself to get the full impact of this thing called faith.

In the beginning of this post I knew there were many things to be said about "having faith", "walking by faith", and "living by faith". This is a huge subject and we may be studying and talking about "faith" for the next week or so.

I want to start out by saying that faith is not a "four letter word" like so many people have unfortunately made it out to be. Once we start talking about "faith", it's possible that some people can get "riled up" and rightly so. The concept of faith has been bandied about by the best of them. Talking about faith can lead us down some pathways that I think are important for us to explore. So let's start out with what Faith is NOT:

Faith is not the "willing" of something to be so, nor is it "wishing" for something. Faith cannot be equated with the idea and concept of "wishing", nor using our "will" to get something accomplished. Do not get "faith" and these two confused. Wishing for something is not Biblically grounded and is something out of our head, not our spirit. Do not fall for the line that says "if you believe it you will receive it", unless it is truly something that God has placed in your spirit. Believing to win Publisher's Clearing House Mega Sweepstakes might be a great "idea", but God probably hasn't placed that thought and concept in your heart and spirit. Chances are, that comes from our "head".

Now, I'm not contradicting scripture here, but trying to give further explanation.

Matthew 21:22
"And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive."

Mark 11:22-24
22. And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God." 23. "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be [granted] him. 24. "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be [granted] you.

If you'll read these two verses carefully you will see there is a common word and phrase used in both, and that is "asking and believing in prayer". If God has put something in your heart to believe in, you will feel confident and comfortable asking for it in prayer. God will give you the "release" and conviction that it is right and permitted to pray for. Here is where we need to be being led by the Spirit. If it's something not from God, then ask Him to remove it from your prayers and mind. Let the Holy Spirit direct you in your prayer life.

An example from my own life has been in the area of buying and selling our homes. God would always start preparing me for a house move, often times months in advance. I have totally given over to Him the concept of where we live. There was a period of time that I really wanted to build a house. We looked for plans, decided on one, even had the lot on which to build, but it never materialized. In hindsight I know that it was a "dream" out of my head, but not something that God had placed in my heart and spirit. No matter how much I wanted it, it never happened. I couldn't will it or wish it into existence. I released it to God, with difficultly I might add, and after that, He was able to take us where He truly wanted us to be.

So in these next posts, we'll be talking and learning about many of the aspects of "faith". I'd love to hear some of your own experiences about this. Leave a comment if you feel the "nudge" of the Holy Spirit. We'd all love to hear them.

love, in Jesus,

Debra

Abba Father, He's My Dad!

Who wouldn't love to have a great relationship with our Dad? Many of us had great ones, while some of us really lacked the ability to have a wonderful father-child relationship. Some dads traveled, some dads weren't communicators, some dads had themselves been hurt as little children and couldn't show affection. Some were too harsh, others too lenient. Some were absent physically or emotionally. Some were even abusive. Then some of us were distant, too busy, or thoughtless. There are many reasons why we haven't had a perfect relationship with our earthly dads, but our Father in Heaven isn't like our earthly "Dad", no matter how wonderful he might be.

We as human parents love to give gifts to our children. Christmas, birthdays, sometimes even a "just because" gift, just to let them know we love them. Our Heavenly Father feels exactly the same about us. He wants to give us good things. He longs to bless His children.

Matthew 7:7-11
7. "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. 8. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened. 9. "Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10. "Or if he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11. "If you then, being evil, (by comparison) know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Matthew 6:8
"Therefore do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him.

James 4:2
You lust and do not have; [so] you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; [so] you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.

God knows what we need, yes. He's all knowing, but He still desires for us to ask. And then say "thank you, Father."
These first three scripture talk about our "asking" the Father for the things we need, but have you thought about asking Him for everything that HE would like to give you. There may be gifts and blessings that we haven't thought about, that He would like to bestow upon us.

We've probably heard the story about the man that arrived in heaven and was led to the large room filled with rows and rows of beautifully wrapped presents, each one tied with a bow and sitting on a shelf. He was amazed and asked his guide what they were. The guide replied. "These are all the gifts and blessings that God had for you, but you never thought to ask for."

A little simplistic, but wouldn't you want to receive each and every gift that God had prepared for you out of His great love? This goes for not only material things and blessings, but how about friendships, experiences, and spiritual gifts. Many people are afraid to ask for spiritual gifts because they think they are "scarey". God is good, He will prepare and nurture you for your giftings.


Psalm 103:1-5
1. [A Psalm of David]. Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, [bless] His holy name. 2. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; 3. Who pardons all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases; 4. Who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; 5. Who satisfies your years with good things, [So that] your youth is renewed like the eagle.

Here we see that God has gifts and "benefits". These come with our salvation "package", but sometimes we don't know or recognize it. Salvation, forgiveness of sin, health, love, spiritual optimism and hope. A satisfied life. Youth in body, mind, and spirit. These gifts are all available for us by "asking" for them.

Galatians 4:6
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Romans 8:15
And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"


These last two verses talk about God refering to Himself not only as our Father, but as our Dad. How wonderful to know that God says "I love you so much, call me Dad!" Knowing God in this way enables us to go before Him to "ask" because we know He loves us, really loves us. This gives us the understanding that we have a loving dad who wants us to ask for the things we need, even though He knows these things in advance. He has a plan to give us all that He wants to give us, and so that we will come before Him with confidence, that we might have "effective prayer".

Hope you are having a great start to your week.

love,

Debra

Weekend Comments

Hi Everyone,

I hope you have had time to read and study along with us this week. We've been looking at scripture that speaks to us about God's "Nature"; His qualities and personality, and how that relates to our confidence in Him. Prayer is still the main focus, but we have to "know" God before we have "confidence" in Him. Then our confidence in God translates into "effective prayer".

Version: NAS

James 5:13-16

13. Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises. 14. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15. and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Remember, if you haven't read or have missed out on any of the daily posts, please comment here on the weekend comments. That way everyone else will get an opportunity to read and share.

I have a little more in this study on prayer, but I'm letting God lead me on what He would like us to discuss next. I've mentioned it before, but if anyone has questions or topics that you are interested in please let me know. I'll be open to see where they might lead. I want to keep this Bible Study relevant, and I know God can surely do it.

I'll be checking back in throughout the weekend. Have a great one!

love,

Debra

True to His Word

Don't we all want to be a person that's true to their word? I don't think any of us set out to "lie", nor do we want to be known as a "liar". I want people to feel like they can trust what I say, and that my actions will back it up. I want my "reputation" to be that of someone who is genuine, not a liar.

That's why I'm honest about the topics here. If I have an issue in any one of these areas, I want to be "upfront". So, if for some strange reason, just because I write this blog everyday, you may be thinking I have it all together, I have to inform you, that "NO", I'm far from it.

There are no perfect people. We are all flawed and that goes in the area of honesty and truth telling. My point today is not about we humans, that goes without saying. We've all lied or "fudged" or exaggerated. I'm talking about God today, that He IS Truth, and He will never lie. What He says stands firm. It is up to us to believe Him and the truth of His Word, the Bible.

Below are some verses that speak about God's Nature in the area of honesty, truthfulness, and promises that are found in scripture.


Version: NAS

Numbers 23:19
"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

God is not like us in the area of truth telling, He never needs to repent because He is perfect, without flaw. When He says something in His Word, or to us personally, it is our responsibility to have faith in that "word" and believe Him for it.

Isaiah 55:10-11
10. "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11. So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding [in the matter] for which I sent it.

God sends His Word out through the scripture in the Bible and just like the rain waters the earth, we can count on it. His Word waters our thirsty souls and gives birth to the seed He puts there. When you feel The Holy Spirit "quickening" your heart over a matter; when a certain scripture just "speaks" straight to you. Grab ahold of it, and let it get planted in your heart. Water it with faith in God and His Word. Let it stay there until, in God's perfect timing it will sprout and flourish.

John 4:50-53
50. Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he started off. 51. And as he was now going down, [his] slaves met him, saying that his son was living. 52. So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." 53. So the father knew that [it was] at that hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives"; and he himself believed, and his whole household.

This man had come to Jesus because he had a sick child. He wanted Jesus to come with him before it was too late, but Jesus said in so many words, "If you will just trust my word your child will live." That is what happened.

Acts 10:34-35
34. And opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand [now] that God is not one to show partiality, 35. but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him.

In Acts Chapter 10 Peter meets with a Gentile (anyone not a Jew) named Cornelius. He was a Roman centurion, who was a believer in Jehovah God. Up until this time, the message of salvation had been only for the Jews, but now God was showing Peter, the Apostle, that the message was for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike. It was an eyeopener for Peter. God desires and loves each and everyone of us, no matter what nationality. It is totally up to our belief in Jesus as God's son. That is the qualifier.


2 Corinthians 1:19-20
19. For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us-- by me and Silvanus and Timothy-- was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. 20. For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; wherefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.

God's Word is full of "promises". It is up to us to read and find them. Then believe God for them. They are all "yes" !


2 Peter1:3-4
3. seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of [the] divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

Believing God's promises enable us to live a fruitful life. We get to know Him through His Word. We can trust Him, and all that He says to us.

Don't be overwhelmed with the amount of scripture. Let God speak to you about what He has for you. Let God put it in your heart for your particular need.

What I'm going to say next is of critical importance.

In the past, I knew God had told me something...He had given me a promise, but I didn't see it happen when I thought it should. God and I got in a big tangle over it. From that moment on I realized I do not know the "timing" of things, only that He is truth, not a liar. My job is to believe, trust, and wait. Wait until it comes to pass.

And that is where "patience" kicks in!

love,

Debra

Where's Your Confidence?

One of the all-time favorite movies is the Wizard of Oz. Imagine yourself being Dorothy after her long exhausting trip to the Emerald City to see the Wizard. She's ready to step up and make her request before the powerful Oz, but when she and her companions arrive for their audience they are terrified by the atmosphere. The tin man is "jangling", the lion is trying to escape, and the scarecrow is falling over in his state of fear. Have you ever felt like that when you come before God to pray? Do you feel small and overwhelmed by God, feeling like you can't measure up, that you are insignificant, or that He is intimidating?

God is certainly all powerful, and "Ruler of the Universe". He does ask for respect and honor from us, but ultimately he is not "hiding behind the veil" manipulating us. He wants us to know we have been invited into His presence.

In the Old Testament times when the Tabernacle was constructed there was a massive curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Tabernacle. It was many inches thick, and impossible to be hung or moved by just one man. It was in this place that the Ark of the Covenant was located and the place where the Spirit of Jehovah God resided. Only a priest was allowed access into the Holy of Holies, and only then, he was allowed after ceremonial cleansing and being prepared with a time of repentance.

That was the way it was until the very moment that Jesus died on the cross. When that occurred the curtain, or veil, was supernaturally torn down the middle. This represented the fact that Jesus had made possibly by His death, our access to God the Father. The dividing wall was down. We the common man now would be able to not only speak to, but to fully know the Father.


Exodus 40:33
Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.


Luke 23:44-45
44. And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45. the sun being obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two.

 Ephesians 2:14-16
14. For He Himself is our peace, who made both [groups into] one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15. by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, [which is] the Law of commandments [contained] in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, [thus] establishing peace, 16. and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.

Jesus became our High Priest, and now goes to the Father on our behalf, as He has suffered that we may know God and come before Him.

Hebrews 4:14-16
14. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as [we are, yet] without sin. 16. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.
 
Hebrews 10:19-23 19. Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20. by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21. and since [we have] a great priest over the house of God, 22. let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled [clean] from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

Jesus made the way for us to communicate with and to know God the Father. Because of Him we can "go behind the curtain" so to speak. So that we can have nothing separating us; full access to God.
We saw in the scripture last Friday that God invites us in to know Him. It is His desire to be in relationship with us. He desires fellowship and communication. When we communicate with someone we begin to learn about their nature. Knowing God's "nature" enables us to come to Him in prayer with confidence.
 
Tomorrow we will begin looking at scripture that speaks to us about God's amazing nature.

 

love,

Debra