Confession / Repentance

Jesus, Our High Priest

¹⁹Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; ²¹And having an high priest over the house of God; ²²Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Bible KJV www.biblegateway.com

Everything changed the moment Jesus became our high priest!

People worshipped God, during the old testament time, in a tent or a tabernacle. It had a special room called the Holy Place. Inside of the Holy Place was another room: called the Holy of Holies. People however, also referred to it as the Most Holy Place or Holiest. God allowed the high priest to enter the room only on the Day of Atonement.

“God’s dwelling place” among the people was in the Holiest Room

A very heavy, thick veil (curtain) separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. It was there to keep the sinful man away from the presence of God.

No one could inadvertently walk into the Holiest, claiming it as an accident, based on the way the curtain was set up. Anyone who entered into the room (except the priest on his one day per year) would die. If the priest did something not pleasing to God, he would die. Any person who even looked inside would die.

The High Priest enters the Holiest Room

The high priest had many rules and laws to follow before entering the room of God. The priest began by washing had to take place before he could enter the room of God. And, he had to be meticulous with putting on the special clothes he wore. He needed incense that would fill the room with a scent pleasing to God. The incense had to be the exact amount that would create a thick cloud of smoke. It was covering his eyes from a direct view of God. There were many tasks that had to be followed in a meticulous manner before entering the Holiest.

Following the required preparations, the priest, would enter through the curtain into the Holiest room. He would be trembling with fear, knowing that even the smallest mistake could mean death for him.

The High Priest took the sacrificial blood of an animal in with him. As long as the blood stayed warm and flowing, it could atone for his sins and those of the people. As the blood became cold, the vitality of it, depleted. After that, it became unusable and, had no further purpose.

During the Old Testament Times

I’m assuming that many people of Israel, didn’t have any kind of relationship with Lord God. I wonder how much they thought about what the priest was actually doing for them? Even today, do most people know and understand the sacrifice Jesus made for us?

When Jesus, the Son of God, was crucified, everything changed. He willingly shed his blood, to purify us of our sins. Jesus became our ultimate offering and, sacrificed on our behalf. He gave his life in place of ours! No longer will God accept sacrificial animal offerings to atone for our sins.

God, at the exact moment of Jesus’ death, ripped the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holiest. He tore the veil from the top to the bottom. The ripping of the veil represented Jesus’ broken body. People could now be in God’s presence, through Jesus. Jesus’ blood can never grow cold nor will it ever become useless. It will continuously be warm, and full of life and vitality. Always be more than enough to cover all of our sins.

God sent his son Jesus, to become our Sacrificial Lamb and High Priest

• The people who accept salvation through Jesus Christ have their sins covered and forgiven.
• His resurrection from death, consecrated (declared set apart and made sacred) Him for us.
• A person seeking God, must have faith in Jesus to remove the veil that separates the righteous from unrighteous.
• God’s plan of redemption is fulfilled through the sacrificial Lamb of Christ Jesus.

We now have the opportunity, privilege and, right, to go before God’s presence, using Jesus, as our High Priest and intercessor,. And we can now go before God with great boldness and in faith.

MY PRAYER FOR HEBREWS 10:19-22

Father God, Yahweh Jireh – The Lord will provide

Thank you Lord for sending your Son Jesus, as the Sacrificial Lamb. I may have a personal relationship with you.

By the name of Jesus, everyone now has the opportunity to receive the gift of forgiveness, grace and salvation. Father, you have made it very easy to be saved to an eternal life!

We must believe in the name of Jesus (and everything he has done for us). First, it’s important to ask for forgiveness; from our hearts. Then, we must have a personal relationship with Jesus. By staying close, allowing him to work in and guide us, we will receive forgiveness and life eternal.

Who do we confess to now?

We no longer have to confess our sins to an earthly priest. No longer do we need to receive penance. As a believer, my High Priest Jesus, will speak to you on my behalf. With my heart. heavy with sin, I ask for forgiveness. I am blessed with your forgiveness, grace and love because Jesus’ blood will cover all my sin. Through Jesus, I have the assurance that I will be washed clean of all my sin

Father I pray that the many; who don’t know you yet, hear your call or feel the touch of you tugging at their hearts. Lord, I pray they are able to see you clearly and will turn to you with a repented heart. As people turn to you, they will see that the blinders which covered their eyes have been ripped down. Then, they will receive the free gift of salvation!

You are such a merciful God! Thank you for sending your Son to earth for my salvation !

In the name of my Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen

Ready for more information What is Salvation Salvation by the Grace of God – Titus 2: 11-14

Who Could Stand with Sin?

Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. ²Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. ³If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? ⁴But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. ⁵I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. ⁶My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. ⁷Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. ⁸And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Bible KJV www.biblegateway.com

Who could stand with sin in front of God ? If the Lord punished people for all of their sins, then no-one would be worthy of salvation into life eternal.

No one knows for sure who wrote this Psalm but some believe it was Nehemiah the priest, during captivity in Babylon. Some scholars/authors think it was a prayer for Israel and some believe Nehemiah was praying for himself. Regardless; someone was praying earnestly to God. I believe that Nehemiah couldn’t pray just for Israel or just for himself. And because of that I have written two posts on the same piece of scripture. See also Hear My Cry, O Lord

Nehemiah prays asking God, who could stand with sin?

The Psalmist realized that Israel’s sin’s were keeping them from God and more importantly that they would keep them separated from the Lord right into eternity.

Nehemiah acknowledges the both he and the people of Israel were sinners. Nehemiah also understood that with faith, and repentance Father God could take away their sin. After asking for God’s forgiveness, he waited, in faith, believing that God had heard him and would accept his prayer.

As Nehemiah grew in faith, his love for the Lord also grew. The closer he got to God, the more he felt the fear (awe/respect/love) of God!

He believed that God would help the people of Israel to remember that God is mercy and grace and with Him there is deliverance from all of their sin!

My Prayer for Psalm 130:3-8

Heavenly Father,

Thank you Father that you sent your Son and the Holy Spirit to help me live my life for you. I am grateful that the Holy Spirit convicts me when I have sinned. When Nehemiah was praying for Israel, they did not have the blessing of Jesus for salvation. However, with Jesus as my advocate, I can have faith that I am forgiven when I repent. Thank you that I live in a time when my sins can be covered, with the blood of Jesus.

Thank you God that each and every day you lead me, guide me and, accept my prayers when I ask for forgiveness. Lord, because of your mercy and grace, I am cleansed, purified and forgiven.

In Jesus’ precious name, I pray, Amen

Restored to God’s Salvation

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 13Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.

Bible KJV www.BibleGateway.com

Restored to God’s Salvation!

David says to the Lord, “Restore God’s Salvation to me”! The author (probably David) is feeling horrified at his own sins and pleads with God to cleanse him. David wants his heart washed and cleansed totally by God. He wants it to be as a completely new heart, one that has never been soiled with sin.

Feeling a deep conviction, David admits to his sins and, pleads with God, to totally restore him as a new man. David is begging God not to leave him without joy. He has known what it was like to be in a close relationship with God and now what it is like not to be and he does not like it at all! He wants to be restored to God’s salvation.

It interests me that David begins to thank God for the mercies he hopes to receive by pledging to change and is even thanking the Father for a renewal of heart. He tells the Lord that he will be an example to others and show how he has changed. He promises to guide others, in their sinful times, to go before God, the Father. This wasn’t a bribe David was making but a sincere promise of what the new man would be able to accomplish, for (and with) the Lord.

I love the trust and faith that David had

Somewhere inside of David, he had faith that he could be restored to God’s salvation and he did everything he could to gain that friendship back.

God is angry with David for two reasons. First because David was sinning against God. (Perhaps based on 2 Samuel 11). Second reason; because David was to set an example of how people were to live for God. The example David had been setting, wasn’t a good one.

At salvation the new “man” gets rid of the “old” man. As soon as we ask the Lord into our lives, we change. We may not feel different but we most definitely are. In an instance we have just become children of God. We now have Jesus as our Saviour and his example to follow. We also now have the Holy Spirit as our helper, with his many attributes, including his guidance (and his convictions).

What we are not necessarily told is that we don’t instantly become the new man totally, but that we begin a life long process to become a new creation, based on the image of God himself.

However, if we continue to sin deliberately without confession, without repentance, without sorrow and without attempting to fight against the sin, then we have not changed. Hence, true salvation was never ours. True salvation comes from within! By not changing our way of living, then perhaps we never truly received salvation. And if that’s the case, then one day we will face God’s judgement , without a saving grace.

My Prayer for Psalm 51:10-13

Dear Father of Grace and Mercy,

It’s strange but for some reason, I always think you as a loving, kind Father who sees my sins and is waiting patiently for me to ask for forgiveness.

I have never thought of you as a stern father. It never dawned on me that perhaps you were angry and/or disappointed with me every time I’ve sinned. I haven’t worried about repeating the same sins over and over. It was my assumption that I could confess my sins and was forgiven each time. I realize now that I am not coming to you with true repentance in my heart? A sin is a sin! And sin will bring the downfall of man!

What is Biblical repentance?

Biblical repentance is to change one’s mind that results in a change of action. As a Christian I must set an example, one that looks like I am a creation of you, the God Almighty. Please Father, have the Holy Spirit continue to encourage me to change my ways? I pray I will listen and heed his guidance!

Lord, I am so thankful that you led me to this particular scripture today and opened my eyes. Help me Father to stay on the straight and narrow path. Help me to be a good example of Jesus in all ways, everyday.

Thank you Father that in the past, when I came before you, asking for forgiveness and mercy, that you, seeing what was deep inside my heart, forgave me. Even so, I pray Lord, that from this moment on, we will have a better relationship because I know now that I must change and grow and, with your help, I will.

Right now Lord, I ask your forgiveness. As David prayed, I will also pray. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.

Please Lord don’t ever let me get so far away from you that I would lose my joy.

I give you all the thanks and glory. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen

2 Samuel What is Salvation

Jesus Concerned Over Every Lost Soul

For those of you, who doubt that Jesus is concerned over every lost soul, I tell you, he really is. Verse 10 in this scripture tells us even the angels are happy, when a sinner repents. As I studied the chapter, I loved every bit of it.

1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. ²And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

Bible KJV www.biblegateway.com

I would like to do an in-depth study on Luke 15. It has more meaning then the surface theme of lost and found. I encourage you to read all of Luke 15 and then meditate or study on it. You will find many precious nuggets!

Luke tells us that although Jesus used parables to teach the disciples and/or the people, these particular parables were mostly for the benefit of the Pharisees. They had come against Jesus for “hanging out” with sinners and even eating with them. The Pharisees would not associate with sinners, believing unrighteous people were beneath their attention.

Christ is going to teach them by using 3 narratives. First is the parable of the lost sheep. The second is the parable of the lost coin and the third is of the lost son. They spotlights lost things that represent why Jesus is concerned over every lost soul.

Luke 15:3-7 – The Lost Sheep

³And he spake this parable unto them, saying, ⁴What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? ⁵And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. ⁷I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Christ is saying that searching for one lost sheep is worth leaving the other ninety-nine sheep while he looks for the one. The shepherd asks his friends to rejoice with him (verse 6) because the sheep is finally found. Jesus ends this parable by showing that although there may be ninety-nine “believing” people, it’s the lost one that is important.

Luke 15:8-10 – The Lost Coin

⁸Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? ⁹And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.

Jesus continues with the parable of the lost coin. A lady has ten coins and loses one of them. The woman searches diligently for that one coin she lost. When she finds it, she calls her friends to rejoice with her (verse 9). Jesus tells us that the woman still had nine coins, but it was very important to find the missing coin .

Luke 15:10 There is joy in the presence of the angels

¹⁰Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Before we get to verse 10, we needed to pay attention to what was happening in verses 1 and 2. In this post, I am not delving into the area of the religious men who are consumed with God’s laws, rather than love. They obviously held a different opinion than Jesus Christ. Christ hated sin but felt love for the sinners. I will at some point, post on this verse but I encourage you to study it on your own. There is so much information packed into verses 1,2, and 10. Along with these 3 verses, you need to also study deeper into the lost son.

Luke 15:11-32 – The Lost Son

¹¹And he said, A certain man had two sons: ¹²And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. ¹³And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. ¹

⁴And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. ¹⁵And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. ¹⁶And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. ¹⁷And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

The Lost Son heads back home

¹⁸I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, ¹⁹And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. ²⁰And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

²¹And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. ²²But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: ²³And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: ²⁴For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

The elder son is jealous and doesn’t understand

²⁵Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. ²⁶And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. ²⁷And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. ²⁸And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. ²⁹And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: ³⁰But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

Thought dead but now alive

³¹And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. ³²It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

Jesus continues with the parable of the prodigal son. The younger son wants to take his inheritance and leave; so his father gives him the money and the son goes on his way. After he loses everything, the young son humbly returns to his father’s house (verse 24). Everyone is happy. The son considered dead and now found alive.

In these parables, we see the same message; Jesus is concerned over every lost soul! Jesus said that in order to save sinners, the Pharisees needed to spend time with them. They should not shun or preach at them, but befriend them.

Here’s what I found in studying…

The word “lost” does not mean only the unsaved people who will not receive life eternal. They can be Christians that have been on the narrow path leading to God and eternal life, now moved to the wide path leading to eternal death. These “lost” could also be people who have not heard about Jesus or are confused and need help understanding.

The sheep represents the person who is falling away from faith

Jesus is concerned over every lost soul. He wants everyone rescued from Satan, his demons and eternal death.

The lost coin represents a believer

The lost coin represent a believer who has fallen away from the church. It’s the church’s duty to watch out for each other and to diligently search to save souls.

The lost son

The last parable digs a quite a bit deeper. The elder brother represents the Jewish people who remained solid in their religious ways and hung onto laws and rituals. However, they became self-righteous, proud and eventually ended up far from God (like the Pharisees). This parable also shows that the father of the two sons, loved both equally. In the same way, God loves the Jews and the Gentiles equally.

Once humbled, the father took his “lost” son back immediately, just as if nothing had ever happened. God will also take back his humbled “lost” children as if they never left.

Jesus was teaching the Pharisees that every lost person is very important to God. Those people who have moved away from God are just as important as those who love and believe in God (and after the crucifixion, believe in Jesus).

Father God doesn’t have to take us back!

The Lord doesn’t have to find the lost, save people or forgive our sins. He does it because he wants to and because he loves us so much. Unfortunately, most of the Pharisee’s didn’t listen or take advantage of Jesus’ warnings to change their ways. Still today there are many Jewish people who continue to live by the law and rituals and will not recognize Jesus as the Messiah!

Jesus is concerned over every lost soul. So; the job God has given believers today, is to find the lost (regardless of who they are or what they’ve done) and tell them about Jesus. That may even mean “hanging out”, or perhaps sharing a meal with sinners, just as Jesus did.

We are all sinners, not deserving salvation. However, God loves all of us and does not want to see, even one person lost.

My Prayer for Luke 15:1-32

God, the Father of Life Eternal,

I ask you Lord, to place the lost along my path, those you know I can help. Guide me and give me the words that would touch their hearts and open their eyes to you or to hear your call.

Help me Father, to realize that not every person wants salvation. “I” am not the person to save people, you do that. My job is to pray for and seek out the lost . And then show them to the way to believe once found. Unfortunately, not all will accept that offer.

I will praise and glorify your name each and every day. Help me to continually be on the watch for the lost and tell them of the good news of Jesus Christ. Also I will pray for those who do not know you, praying they will hear your call.

Thank you Father for loving each and every person in this world and that every one of them have exactly the same option of finding Christ and receiving salvation, as I did.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, I pray. Amen

James 4:6-10 – Closer to God

James 4:6-10 – Draw closer to God and resist the devil.

• [6] But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
  [7] Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
  [8] Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
  [9] Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
  [10] Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
• Bible JKV www.biblegateway.com

God gives grace! If we are willing to submit and draw closer to God and allow him to take the lead, we are blessed with grace. In that grace we are able to totally give ourselves over to God. However, He will not work in the people who believe it’s all about them (the proud).

Resist the devil – As soon as the natural person gets closer to God and truly gives their self over to him, they become his child. One of the wonderful gifts we receive from Almighty God is the authority to resist the devil. As strong as Satan is, he cannot overcome a Christian’s given authority and will flee at the name of Jesus.

Draw closer to God

James is telling the people they must stay close to God. The closer they are to him, the closer he will be to them. The same principles apply for us today. We must make a conscious effort to stay closer to God, following his lead. The flip side is that when we allow the enemy control, we are not living the life God intended for us.

Cleanse your hands

Because of Adam’s downfall in the Garden of Eden, we live in a world of sin. Therefore, it is very important for us to go before God; in the name of Jesus, confess and wash our hands of sin, and then receive God’s grace, his mercy and forgiveness.

Purify

We need our hearts to be purified. So many times we will only clean what we or others see. However it is very important to ask for God to search us, inside and out, to find whatever sins we may be hiding – possibly even from ourselves. Then we can take them before God, confess the sins and be purified through Jesus.

Double-minded

God has given us the right to make our own choices in the way that we live. However, it’s important for us to remember that we cannot serve two masters; it’s either the enemy’s we serve or God, our heavenly Father.

Be afflicted

Yes; a person living without the Lord may be enjoying life to the fullest, but there are eternal consequences. Without God’s presence, the worldly things that bring us joy, laughter and happiness are short lived and useless. James is telling us that it’s very important to let go of the worldly way of living and turn to God.

James is warning us that as we get closer to God, our sins will become more evident and we will feel convicted. This is a good thing! The need to lament, mourn, and weep will come upon us and we will feel the heaviness of the sin and will be crying out to God, to be rid of it.

Humble yourselves

As we go before God humbly, asking and receiving forgiveness, our Loving Father will wipe away our sins and then he will lift us up, giving us genuine love and happiness for eternity.

My prayer for James 4:6-10

The Lord my Shepherd (Yahweh Roi (Pronunciation: yah-WEH row-EE)

Thank you Lord, that when you called to me, I accepted your invitation and drew close to you. I then confessed my sins and made you the Lord and Ruler of my life. I have never looked back! The life I enjoy today with you by my side is more than I ever imagined. In you I have found peace, love, and joy.

Thank you Father for this message from James.

As I studied it this week, it was a reminder for me to always stay close to you God.

Search my heart Lord for those sins that could be deeply hidden inside me. Bring them to my mind so that I can confess with my mouth and have my heart purified.

The enemy is always standing right beside me, urging me to fall away from you, tempting me with all sorts of gifts and lies. Help me Lord to stay strong in Jesus, and resist the enemy.

If I am not living my life with you as my central authority, then I have no chance at resisting the devil. Please stay close to me and have the Holy Spirit convict me the moment I may drift towards the enemy’s territory.

I know Lord that as a Christian, my life will still be full of ups and downs.

I understand that I am not immune to bad things happening in my life. However, I do know that as your child, you will always be at my side; leading, helping and comforting me. Regardless of what is going on around me, help me to stand strong in you, covered by the Armour of God.

Thank you Father for your love, you grace, your mercy, and for all the wonderful gifts that I receive from you. I am thankful to you for sending your son Jesus and the Holy Spirit to earth to help us be the best we can be. May I always consciously and purposely choose you to lead my life.

For the glory to God and in the holy name of Christ, I pray.

Amen

Do you long to know Jesus? Go to salvation

Yahweh Roi (Pronunciation: yah-WEH row-EE means The Lord is my Shepherd who watches over me night and day and leading me along the path of righteousness.