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You have a big concern or a great idea. Maybe you work for a BIG company or you are a citizen of a BIG country.
You would like to take your concern or idea to the person that has the most authority and ability to do something about it.
If you are young and idealistic you start your Internet search for the phone number of the President of XYZ (your company or country). If you are older, with a little bit more of a reality check, you might try to find an email address for someone in "Customer Support" and hope they will take your idea or concern up the ladder. In the later case you don't expect much but you know you get no where if you don't try something. In the former case you will likely have to settle for something far less than the ideal.
You would like to take your concern or idea to the person that has the most authority and ability to do something about it.
If you are young and idealistic you start your Internet search for the phone number of the President of XYZ (your company or country). If you are older, with a little bit more of a reality check, you might try to find an email address for someone in "Customer Support" and hope they will take your idea or concern up the ladder. In the later case you don't expect much but you know you get no where if you don't try something. In the former case you will likely have to settle for something far less than the ideal.
Even if you are fortunate enough to get to communicate directly with the President you are just one person in a sea of employees or citizens. Your time will be VERY limited and your idea or concern will be one to weigh against hundreds or thousands or millions of others. So you might go away from your 2 minute meeting feeling pretty good that you managed to communicate directly with the President but in reality, unless the conversation was of immense, immediate benefit to the President, nothing is likely to come of this.
Kids will write letters to Santa Claus or to God out of simple sincere faith in what they have been taught. Parents will snicker at such activities. As kids grow up they learn the truth about Santa Claus and many figure they lack the ability to really communicate with God either. But we have really Good News for you! You can have direct access to the Heavenly Father's throne and it is available 24/7! No letter required. In fact, the key to this access is from God's letter to us.
Many people have referred to the Bible as a love letter from God to His special Creation. The first section in the Bible, named Genesis, starts with the story of the 6 days of Creation. Each day had a special focus. After a day's work God would step back and take a look. For example, the 5th day focused on creating everything that that lived in the water plus the birds of the air. As we each other day God would pronounce "that it was good". The sixth day God spoke animals into existence and again saw that "it was good." But before this day would be over God would create mankind in his own image. Unlike His other Creation He would pronounce a blessing on these humans and give them authority over everything else on the earth. He would end this day with "and it was VERY GOOD!"
If these two initial humans had been obedient to their Creator we would have a very different world today but they did disobey a command of God. They were given the amazing option of a "free will", not an inborn intuition like the animals. They simply violated God's law and the prescribed penalty for this was death. This was in both a spiritual and physical sense. The relationship between God and mankind was broken and this would be passed on through all people that have come along since then. God would still speak to people through a few that had a heart for Him. They are often referred to as "prophets". These men would speak God's messages to the people. They would provide His direction and His Law (such as the 10 Commandments). In most cases the people would seek after God for a while but then start seeking after their own ways or making up their own deities to "serve."
At the right time God would do a remarkable thing. He would send Jesus, His Son, to earth to take care of this human "sin" problem (violating God's Law). He would not come this first time as a conquering King and wipe out the rebellion of humanity. Instead, He would be interjected directly into the human race and be born in a feeding trough to Mary, a virgin, through divine appointment. He would grow up as other humans, with one exception. He would NOT Sin! He would always make the right choice with the Heavenly Father. Like most all the other prophets He would be rejected for bringing forth God's message to His people. They would eventually have Him killed through a brutal beating and crucifixion. For His enemies it looked like victory but God allowed this death through a perfect life to become the sacrifice that would once and for all conquer death and sin for mankind! Jesus would show the power in this victory by rising from the dead 3 days and 3 nights after his death (as He said He would). Jesus would return to Heaven and receive back the glory that He had emptied Himself of to enter the human race.
All of us- young and old, poor and wealthy, female and male, now may receive the gift of salvation through the blood of Jesus. We acknowledge that we have "sinned" to God; we have crossed God's law (which will judge us all after our death), and we receive forgiveness of ALL OUR sins through Jesus literally taking our punishment for us. On the spiritual side we become "a new creation". We are given the power of God's spirit to live within us, and guide us into "right" living. Sin no longer has dominion over us. That love letter from God, the Bible, will now start to make sense and we will desire to know more and more about God and Jesus His Son. We will also have a desire to help other people understand this "Good News". We will still experience a physical death and will rest in this "sleep" state until Jesus returns the 2nd time. He will bring with Him at that time our prize- immortality or eternal life. They that have died will be raised from the grave and we will meet Jesus in the air and from that time on wherever Jesus is we will be with Him!
Much of this is great information but it's point in this article is to get us to the point of this article! What happens with us on this earth until Jesus returns? We can read the Bible but we don't see a physical Jesus. While we have a clear inner witness of God's presence with us there are still times of doubt and trouble. Sin should not have dominion over us if we've accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior and yet we will all still make some wrong choices. Jesus was not only a prophet but was also identified as a priest (one that would take the needs of the people to God).
When we are talking about the Bible and it's sections we call these "books". Most of these sub-books contain chapters and then verses so we can easily identify a specific part of scripture. In the "book" of Hebrews, chapter 4 and verses 14-16 God records this information about Jesus:
Kids will write letters to Santa Claus or to God out of simple sincere faith in what they have been taught. Parents will snicker at such activities. As kids grow up they learn the truth about Santa Claus and many figure they lack the ability to really communicate with God either. But we have really Good News for you! You can have direct access to the Heavenly Father's throne and it is available 24/7! No letter required. In fact, the key to this access is from God's letter to us.
Many people have referred to the Bible as a love letter from God to His special Creation. The first section in the Bible, named Genesis, starts with the story of the 6 days of Creation. Each day had a special focus. After a day's work God would step back and take a look. For example, the 5th day focused on creating everything that that lived in the water plus the birds of the air. As we each other day God would pronounce "that it was good". The sixth day God spoke animals into existence and again saw that "it was good." But before this day would be over God would create mankind in his own image. Unlike His other Creation He would pronounce a blessing on these humans and give them authority over everything else on the earth. He would end this day with "and it was VERY GOOD!"
If these two initial humans had been obedient to their Creator we would have a very different world today but they did disobey a command of God. They were given the amazing option of a "free will", not an inborn intuition like the animals. They simply violated God's law and the prescribed penalty for this was death. This was in both a spiritual and physical sense. The relationship between God and mankind was broken and this would be passed on through all people that have come along since then. God would still speak to people through a few that had a heart for Him. They are often referred to as "prophets". These men would speak God's messages to the people. They would provide His direction and His Law (such as the 10 Commandments). In most cases the people would seek after God for a while but then start seeking after their own ways or making up their own deities to "serve."
At the right time God would do a remarkable thing. He would send Jesus, His Son, to earth to take care of this human "sin" problem (violating God's Law). He would not come this first time as a conquering King and wipe out the rebellion of humanity. Instead, He would be interjected directly into the human race and be born in a feeding trough to Mary, a virgin, through divine appointment. He would grow up as other humans, with one exception. He would NOT Sin! He would always make the right choice with the Heavenly Father. Like most all the other prophets He would be rejected for bringing forth God's message to His people. They would eventually have Him killed through a brutal beating and crucifixion. For His enemies it looked like victory but God allowed this death through a perfect life to become the sacrifice that would once and for all conquer death and sin for mankind! Jesus would show the power in this victory by rising from the dead 3 days and 3 nights after his death (as He said He would). Jesus would return to Heaven and receive back the glory that He had emptied Himself of to enter the human race.
All of us- young and old, poor and wealthy, female and male, now may receive the gift of salvation through the blood of Jesus. We acknowledge that we have "sinned" to God; we have crossed God's law (which will judge us all after our death), and we receive forgiveness of ALL OUR sins through Jesus literally taking our punishment for us. On the spiritual side we become "a new creation". We are given the power of God's spirit to live within us, and guide us into "right" living. Sin no longer has dominion over us. That love letter from God, the Bible, will now start to make sense and we will desire to know more and more about God and Jesus His Son. We will also have a desire to help other people understand this "Good News". We will still experience a physical death and will rest in this "sleep" state until Jesus returns the 2nd time. He will bring with Him at that time our prize- immortality or eternal life. They that have died will be raised from the grave and we will meet Jesus in the air and from that time on wherever Jesus is we will be with Him!
Much of this is great information but it's point in this article is to get us to the point of this article! What happens with us on this earth until Jesus returns? We can read the Bible but we don't see a physical Jesus. While we have a clear inner witness of God's presence with us there are still times of doubt and trouble. Sin should not have dominion over us if we've accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior and yet we will all still make some wrong choices. Jesus was not only a prophet but was also identified as a priest (one that would take the needs of the people to God).
When we are talking about the Bible and it's sections we call these "books". Most of these sub-books contain chapters and then verses so we can easily identify a specific part of scripture. In the "book" of Hebrews, chapter 4 and verses 14-16 God records this information about Jesus:
Since then we have a great High Priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Did you grasp that? Because we have a GREAT High Priest, Jesus, we can come BOLDLY to God's own throne! We can obtain MERCY and receive GRACE to help US in time of need! That is truly amazing. On top of that this scripture makes it clear that because Jesus lived a human life He understands our temptations. He is not remote and distant!
If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One
We must also recognize that God is a righteous, holy (pronounced hole-ly) Being that cannot stand to be in the presence of sin. He is not our "buddy". He is the supreme Creator of the Universe. We don't go boldly into the throne room and say "Hey, God. I'm here to make your day." In our current state if we would actually come face-to-face with God we would instantly die. But we can go to the throne In Jesus' name- He is our High Priest. We can go anytime for any reason. God never sleeps.
It is very important to understand how valuable this principle is to us. We don't have to go through anyone else to communicate with God (we generally call this communication prayer) through Jesus. Despite what you may have been taught you don't go "through" some earthly priest. Confess your sins directly to God in Jesus name and you have forgiveness. You don't have to go through a parent or pastor or husband. Jesus has opened the door to the throne and it's wide open. Go in His name!
We will wrap this article up with a couple of verses written by one of Jesus' key followers while he was physically on this earth, known as the apostle John. John wrote one of the four "Gospels" or books that directly record the events of Jesus' earthly ministry. He would also write a series of smaller letters and they are located toward the back of the Bible. In 1 John, chapter 2, verses 1 and 2 (NET translation) John recorded:
It is very important to understand how valuable this principle is to us. We don't have to go through anyone else to communicate with God (we generally call this communication prayer) through Jesus. Despite what you may have been taught you don't go "through" some earthly priest. Confess your sins directly to God in Jesus name and you have forgiveness. You don't have to go through a parent or pastor or husband. Jesus has opened the door to the throne and it's wide open. Go in His name!
We will wrap this article up with a couple of verses written by one of Jesus' key followers while he was physically on this earth, known as the apostle John. John wrote one of the four "Gospels" or books that directly record the events of Jesus' earthly ministry. He would also write a series of smaller letters and they are located toward the back of the Bible. In 1 John, chapter 2, verses 1 and 2 (NET translation) John recorded:
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world.
You may not fully understand "High Priest" but you should get the courtroom analogy of an "advocate". This is one who comes to your aid- to present your case. Jesus will present your case to the Father. Do you think the Father will refuse a request from His Son? Not a chance!
Direct access; 24-7! Now that is really good news!