Tag Archives: God

Access

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A couple of years ago, Holly and I went to the Holy Land. I’ll be honest with you, I was never a person that really wanted to go.  I know lots of folks that went and said it was the greatest thing ever. I’d heard all that. And while I was excited to go – it wasn’t something I’d really ever desired.

But when you get there, wow. It’ really is something else. It opens up your eyes to some many things in Scripture that you didn’t see before. It really makes thing make sense in a way the didn’t before.  It really is a power experience.

One of the cool things we saw was in the south part of Israel the ruins of an old army fort that dated back to Solomon. I know, cool. But, the cool thing was to go inside of it and see how it was all laid out. And inside of this fort, there was a replica of the  Temple in Jerusalem.  And, inside that replica of the Temple was it’s on Holy of Holies. The most sacred place in the Temple. The very place the presence of God was believed to rest. The very place where the priest would tie a rope around their ankle so if God struck them down, they could be drug out. It was the most Holy place in all the land. And each outpost had their own, which was just as holy.

In the picture to your left, you see Holly standing in that Holy of Holies. And notice, she is not struck down.  It’s 3 years later and she is still with us and still alive. God did not strike her down at point.

Why?

Because of what happened in today’s text

50 Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split.

In the death of our Lord, the curtain was torn. And we have access. We are welcomed into the presence of God.  No longer is God separated from us, but He is with us.

No longer do we have go through an other means of access. We can each go directly to God. We are each welcomed in. Each of us.

Today, you have access to the created of heaven and earth.  Your prayers are heard by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  You are welcomed in!

Wow!

Take advantage of that.  Seek after Him.  Seek His face.  You have access to the King!

May we know how blessed we are.  And we spend time each day seeking after Him!

Waiting

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I don’t sit still well. Never have, never will.  I don’t like waiting. If I’ve got an appointment of some sort that I feel like will take a while, I bring things to do.  I don’t like waiting.

Not many of us do. It’s kind of a helpless feeling. You’re there, waiting on someone else, and there is nothing you can do about it.

Listen to the words from Psalm 62

1 For God alone my soul in silence waits; *
from him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, *
my stronghold, so that I shall not be greatly shaken.

There are in scriptures, particularly in the Psalms, this command to wait. To wait upon the Lord.

Why? Why would God want us to wait upon Him? Why is that something we should do?

For the reason we don’t like to wait.  It reminds us that it is not about us. We are not in control. It’s not, in the end, all up to us.

There is a God more powerful than us that does not conform to our schedule and our will, but will conform us to His schedule and to His will.

No one likes waiting. I detest it. But, in, the end, we need to learn to wait upon the Lord. For it teaches us who is really God. Who is really in control. Who is really at work.

It’s all about God.  It’s all about His will.  It’s all about what He wants to do.  May we have the grace today to wait upon Him.

And may we know the freedom and life that comes from waiting upon Him.

God’s Last Hope?

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I had a professor of mine in college that used to always remind us that we are not God’s last hope. God has more up His sleeve than any of us can imagine. God is always doing more than we can see.  He always has a great plan than our minds can fathom.

We need to be reminded of that. Sometimes we can feel like we are God’s last hope. That we are all He has.  No one is righteous, just us.  We are all that He has.

This can be a problem for a couple of reasons. First, we forget that God has a plan.  Do we honestly think that God is surprised by anything that happens?  That He is shocked?  That He thinks, wow, I didn’t see that coming.

Of course not. God is at work in all things that are happening in our life, and in our world.  God has not forgotten us, forgotten the world, forgotten His plan.  He is at work, even in the things that we feel like He can’t be.

Even in a bad economy.  Even in a fearful age.  Even when we are worried about all kinds of things.

God is at work.

The second reason we are not God’s last hope was driven home to me into day’s reading from Romans 11 where Paul writes this:

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you.

It is not we that support the root, it is the root that supports us. We don’t support God, God supports us.

God does not need us.  He is God. He was here before us and will be here after us.  He doesn’t “need” us.

We need Him.  We need Him to live.  To serve. To be faithful. For all of us life.  We need Him for every breath, for every hope, for every dream.  We need Him.

Now, He wants to be in relationship with us.  He loves us.  He desires to know us.  He created us.  And He supports and loves us.

And we need Him.

So, don’t feel like you are God’s last hope today. Be faithful. Do good work. Love, support, pray, forgive.

But also know that God is a work in ways we can’t see. Trust in Him.  Rely on Him.  Know that the root supports you, not the other way around.

God is always at work, even today. Trust in His work, trust in His plan.

Routine

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I’m a man of routine. I have a certain routine that I like to follow most morning before I head out the office – reading, prayer, jogging, and some time with family.  It seems to make my day go better when I do these things. I really enjoy my routines, and I really need my routines.

The last few weeks have been a little (or a lot) crazy.  We’ve had several long trips to various places.  I’ve had meetings in Jackson. I had a little thing I like to call gall bladder surgery.  It’s been something else.

And more change is coming in the coming weeks, with a new church, a new house (along with a new house payment!) and all the changes that go with it!

And so this morning, as I began again my routine, it was so great to read the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 100

1 Be joyful in the LORD, all you lands; *
serve the LORD with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.
2 Know this: The LORD himself is God; *
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
3 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise; *
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.
4 For the LORD is good;
his mercy is everlasting; *
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.

I’ve read this Psalm most everyday the past few years. It’s become part of my routine. And it felt so good to read this morning.

The Lord has made us. We are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

What a comfort, knowing that no matter what happens in life, we are His. We are the sheep of His pasture.

And, in life, we need the routines of knowing these things. We need the routines of hearing these things again, and again, and again.

We need to be reminded that in a world of constant change, somethings remain the same. No matter what happens, we are the sheep of His pasture.  No mater what changes happen, we are sheep of His pasture.  No matter what unknown the future holds, we are the sheep of His pasture.

I’m so glad I had my routine of scripture and prayer this morning to remind me of that.

What routines do you have to allow you to hear His voice? What routines are there in your life that cause you to know that you are His?

We need these things. I became convicted today that no matter what happens I can’t lose my routines.

What about you?  What are the routines in your life? What do you hold to?

May we have those things in life that remind us that we are His. We are the sheep of His pasture.