God is in touch with our reality

I am sure that there are many times where we feel God may have lost touch with our reality. Today's scripture passage was such a great reminder to me, that God IS still in touch with us. Jesus is our High Priest and we can approach his throne of Grace with great confidence:

"Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help." - Hebrews 4:14-16 (Message)

"But Jesus the Son of God is our great High Priest who has gone to heaven itself to help us; therefore let us never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses since he had the same temptations we do, though he never once gave way to them and sinned. So let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive his mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need." - Hebrews 4:14-16 (Living Bible)

I have added the Living Bible translation of this passage because I love the words in bold - Let us never stop trusting in him.

Living in Grace

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Four

Our two greatest enemies are Death and the Devil. In Jesus' temptation in the wilderness He defeats the 3 strategic attempts of the enemy to try and distract him from God's plan. No matter how hard the devil tries, Jesus rejects his efforts.

^"Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him." - Matthew 4:8-11

As we project forward to the Passion of Christ we should also remember that the second of our enemies is defeated at the Resurrection. Taking a look into the empty tomb reveals the greatest gift we could ever dream of. It tells the story that death will not be the end for us, but rather the transition from this world to God's home. 

Allow the knowledge of this victory to bring you LIFE today.

"Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." - Hebrews 2:14-15

Living in Grace
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Without despair and pride

"Jesus Christ is a God whom we approach without pride, and before whom we humble ourselves without despair." - Blaise Pascal

This quote reminded me of the words from Hebrews, where we are invited to approach God's throne with humility and confidence.

^"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." - Hebrews 4:15-16

This teaches us that there are two things we can let go of as we come to God: Our pride and our despair. 


Living in Grace
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I am for "GOING ON"

They say that when the great warrior, Achilles was warned that if he proceeded into battle that he would surely die, he responded with the following statement:

"I am for GOING on!"

This is such a statement of courage and conviction. To believe in something that is bigger than yourself and worth giving your life too. Now that is something worth fighting for. Of course, Jesus showed us this same resolve, as did the disciples and the first Christian martyrs. Faced with huge obstacles and immense persecution, they were able to say - "I am for Going on!"

As you face your next trials and obstacles are you willing to say the same thing? Are we willing to say that with the strength of Christ I am carry on?

"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." - Hebrews 4:16

Living in Grace
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