THE TORN VEIL INVITES US TO BE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD !

10/20/2019

ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS FOR ME IN MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD CAME AS I WAS WATCHING A BIBLICAL SERIES CALLED “A.D.” THE SERIES DEPICTS THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE DEATH AND RESSURRECTION OF JESUS, AND THE TIMES OF THE APOSTLES AND EARLY CHURCH. I HAVE WATCHED MANY GOOD PROGRAMS ON THE LIFE OF JESUS, BUT FOR ME, THIS ONE HAD A PROFOUNDLY DEEP EFFECT. EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE DOES IT SEEM LIKE GOD WANTS YOU TO REALLY SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE OF SOMETHING THAT HE WANTS YOU TO UNDERSTAND MORE CLEARLY OR IN A DEEPER WAY? THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS FOR ME. WHEN JESUS DIED, THE EARTH BEGAN TO SHAKE, AND IT HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM. THE PHYSICAL EFFECT WAS THAT THE VERY TEMPLE BUILDING ITSELF WAS SHAKEN AND BUILDING STONES DISTURBED. INSIDE THE TEMPLE IN AN AREA CALLED THE HOLY OF HOLIES, A VEIL OF 4” THICK MATERIAL FASHIONED FROM BLUE, PURPLE, AND SCARLET MATERIAL AND FINE TWISTED LINEN HUNG TO SEPARATE THE DWELLING PLACE OF GOD FROM THE PEOPLE, AND ONLY ONCE A YEAR WOULD THE HIGH PRIEST ENTER HIS PRESENCE AND OFFER ATTONEMENT FOR THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE. THE VEIL SIGNIFIED THE SEPARATION OF MAN FROM GOD BECAUSE OF SIN. IT WAS UP TO THE HIGH PRIEST AND ELDERS TO OVERSEE THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE PEOPLE WITH THEIR CREATOR THROUGH CONTINUAL ANIMAL SACRIFICE AND EFFORTS TO FOLLOW THE LAW THAT GOD HAD GIVEN MOSES. AND THEN…..THE MIRACLE OF A SAVIOR…..JESUS, WHO WOULD FOREVER CHANGE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, THE FATHER.

SURELY THE ARM OF THE LORD IS NOT TOO SHORT TO SAVE, NOR HIS EAR TO DULL TO HEAR. BUT YOUR INIQUITIES HAVE SEPARATED YOU FROM YOUR GOD; YOUR SINS HAVE HIDDEN HIS FACE FROM YOU, SO THAT HE WILL NOT HEAR. Isaiah 59:1-2

THE WHOLE SITUATION REGARDING THE TEMPLE WAS SURELY SHOCKING TO THE PRIESTS AND PEOPLE IN THE TEMPLE, BUT DID THEY TRUELY UNDERSTAND WHAT HAD HAPPENED? THIS IS WHEN I HAD MY AHA MOMENT ! SAUL OF TARSUS HAD BEEN PERSECUTING ALL THOSE WHO WERE FOLLOWING JESUS, AND AS A TORAH SCHOLAR, HE WELL UNDERSTOOD THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, AND THE LAWS OF MOSES. HE WAS A MAN OF JEWISH TRADITION AND BELIEF, AND YET, IN A MOMENT ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS, HIS ENTIRE LIFE AND BEING WAS CHANGED. JESUS LITERALLY OPENED HIS EYES AND CHANGED HIS HEART FROM SOMEONE WHO HATED JESUS AND HIS FOLLOWERS TO SOMEONE WHO LOVED JESUS, SHARED HIS MESSAGE, AND MOVED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SHARE GOD ALL OVER HIS WORLD. THAT WAS ONE PROFOUND AND MIRACULOUS MOMENT. SAUL BECAME PAUL.

I WANT YOU TO KNOW, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THAT THE GOSPEL I PREACH IS NOT OF HUMAN ORIGIN. I DID NOT RECEIVE IT FROM ANY MAN, NOR WAS I TAUGHT IT; RATHER, I RECEIVED IT BY REVELATION FROM JESUS CHRIST. FOR YOU HAVE HEARD OF MY PREVIOUS WAY OF LIFE IN JUDAISM, HOW INTENSELY I PERSECUTED THE CHURCH OF GOD AND TRIED TO DESTROY IT….BUT WHEN GOD WHO SET ME APART FROM MY MOTHERS WOMB AND CALLED ME BY HIS GRACE, WAS PLEASED TO REVEAL HIS SON IN ME SO THAT I MIGHT PREACH HIM AMONG THE GENTILES, MY IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WAS NOT TO CONSULT ANY HUMAN BEING. GALATIANS 1: 11-16

NOW, MY AHA MOMENT. IN THE PROGRAM, PETER AND THE OTHER APOSTLES ARE DISCUSSING ALL THE RAMIFICATIONS OF JESUS AND THE RESURRECTION, AND HOW THEY SHOULD PRECEED FORWARD. THEY ARE DISCUSSING THEIR JUDAIC PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES AND THE REALITIES OF THE “WHAT NOW” SCENARIO, WHEN PAUL UTTERS THE TRUTH THAT ACTUALLY BROUGHT ME TO TEARS. MY TEARS WERE FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE FREEDOM THAT JESUS HAD GIVEN ME IN HIS DEATH, AND THE JOY OF KNOWING THAT HE HAD FULFILLED AND OVERCOME MY WEAKNESS AND SIN, AND THAT GOD WAS NO LONGER BEHIND A CURTAIN. NO, GOD WAS ACTUALLY WITHIN ME. JESUS WAS IN ME, GUIDING ME, LOVING ME, AND GIVING ME FORGIVENESS AND LOVE ETERNALLY ! HE FOREVER TORE THE CURTAIN OF SEPARATION BETWEEN ME AND GOD, AND PAUL MAKES IT CLEAR THAT JESUS CAME FOR EVERYONE, JEW AND GENTILE ALIKE. AS PAUL EXPRESSED: “ BROTHERS, DO YOU NOT SEE ! JESUS HAS TORN THE CURTAIN ! HE HAS FULFILLED THE PROPHETS AND ALSO THE LAW ! HE HAS FREED US TO BE IN FULL AND COMPLETE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD ! HE IS IN US !” FOR ME, THAT SAYS EVERYTHING. JESUS LIVES IN ME. I AM FREE. I WILL WORSHIP HIM IN FULL RELATIONSHIP, AND THE LAWS OF GOD THAT NO MAN COULD FULFILL HAVE BEEN FULFILLED. WE MAY FOLLOW THE WAY OF LIFE GOD LAID OUT FOR US WITHOUT WORRY, BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE TO BE RULED BY OUR SINFUL NATURE ANY MORE. I AM NOT A PERFECT MAN, AND I HAVE A LOT TO CONTINUE TO LEARN AND GROW INTO WITH GOD, BUT I DO KNOW THIS…..I HAVE COMPLETE FORGIVENESS IN JESUS TO PURSUE GOD WITH ALL MY HEART, AND HE IS REACHING HIS HAND OUT TO ME AND SAYING “ COME….BE ONE WITH ME” !

FOR THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS HAS SET YOU FREE FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND OF DEATH. Romans 8:2

THANK YOU FATHER FOR YOUR SON :) /JA