Boldness to Enter His Presence (Because He Loves Us)

Read Hebrews 10:19-25

God has always wanted us with Him, close to Him, in His presence. In the olden days (old testament) He made the ritual of the high priest entering the Holy of Holies only maybe after intense steps and careful effort. This was to make a point -- to show how special, how valuable, how worthy His presence is and how unworthy we are in a fallen state (because of sin). It shows that aside from Him, our own righteousness is like filthy rags. 

At the same time, however, it shows how that unworthiness was not our original state, and not where God chooses to have us stay. We were made in His image and in His likeness, with righteousness. We are valuable to Him, beyond any other created being. This is shown in the painstaking feat that Christ was willing to endure all for the purpose of restoring us to a righteous, close and personal state with our Father, the One who made us and intended us for His purpose and presence. He makes us righteous, just, clean, great and worthy. He restores us to that original worth and value -- through Christ.

The verses also say we CAN now boldly enter the Holy place in His presence. We no longer have to go through a ritual or have someone else go to God on our behalf because of the Ultimate Sacrifice - Christ. After all of that work Christ endured to restore us, He does not force us, but invites and makes available to us His love, help and presence. He loves and values us and wouldn't trade us for anything else in Heaven or on earth.

To Do List Truth

A relationship with God is not being a part of an organization and doing this or that.
It is not paying tithes or praying before bed.
It is not doing my Bible study for the day or attending church.
It is not volunteering because "I am supposed to."
It is not "paying dues" or "checking something off the list" so that I can move on with "my" life or day.
It is not giving this or that to cover myself and say I did my part.

Yes, some of those things are important aspects along the way and to help build and strengthen us, but really...
It is about living life in all that you do "through" Him.
Letting Him take the reigns.
Seeking Him first.
Depending on Him.
Continuing in Him.
It does not mean that you are perfect, without flaw or that you can't make mistakes.
It means you'll tell God:

"I know that I can't do this thing called life on my own. I know that I need your help. I want to have a successful life and to do your will but I don't know how. Lead me, guide me, take control, show me and be patient with me, give me an ear to hear and to be attentive to your voice and to what you are speaking to me at any given moment. Cause me to know you deeply and intimately - to be one with you. Be the center of my life. Here's my heart, it's yours. Here's my will, it's yours. I'm going to keep on moving and living, and whole doing so, moment by moment, I'm going to open myself to hear you and to sense where you are leading me. I trust that your will is what's best for me and that all things will work our for me. I trust that your heart is only good towards me and that you would never seek harm for my life, but that you love me unconditionally and want things to go well for me. I'm open to you. When I don't understand I will seek you and wait patiently for your direction and for what I feel and sense you are showing me to do. I will act on what you show me to do (regardless of how I feel)."

A relationship with God may include all of the above, but it's centered in what a wise man said in Proverbs 3:5-6...
It's not "doing" things perfectly, but rather, trusting in Him with all of your heart (above what you see & hear daily before you) and not leaning to your own understanding (consulting yourself, going with what you think or by the wisdom of the world & it's ways alone).  It's acknowledging Him in all of your ways (seeking His direction in all that you do before and while doing it; clinging to Him); so that He can direct you (guide you in the way that will work for your good).

It's something that cannot be checked off. It is lived intently, from deep inside of your heart.

Loving through Life's Storms

I believe God is looking for a people who will really love Him. For a people who, in good and bad times, will look to Him first, still trust Him, still praise Him and keep their hearts open to Him. 

Bad things happening does not mean those things were forced by God's hands. Hey, if He had it His way, the earth would be like it is in Heaven. He made life perfect. We (starting with Adam & Eve), through choosing to trust, love and obey other people, things, and ourselves - idols - more than Him caused all the ruckus that there is in the world --from the smallest white lie to greatest tragedy. 

The root of every problem began with our hearts turning away from God, from rebellion towards God, from the lie that we can be better gods and rulers of our own lives than He can. We were never meant to rule our own lives without His direct input, guidance, direction and PRESENCE! But we so often do, and look where that's gotten us (as a world). 

Yet even still, God wants to get as much Heaven and blessing into our lives as possible! What did the model prayer Jesus gave the disciples say? For us to declare and pull upon God - "Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven (1)." It is God's will for things to "go well with us (2)" and for us to be blessed. For us to have joy. "Love one another as I have loved you so that your joy may be full (3)." 

"Keep your mind on me and I will keep you in perfect peace (4)." 

"Delight yourself in me and I will give you the desires of your heart (5)." 

We have to realize that everything that happens is not His will. Children being killed is not his will. People getting raped is not His will. Robbery, drug addictions, loneliness, etc., etc., etc., is not His will. But those things do happen...because of the nature of Sin (Satan) not because of the nature of God (Love, Peace, Joy, Truth). 

God wants us to know that He really, really loves us. He wants us to want Him deeply, whole heartedly, intimately like He wants us. Let's open our hearts and say "Lord I want to love you like you love & want me. I want your will for my life and all that is good. Teach me, guide me, correct me, mold me. Help me to withstand the tests and trials in my life knowing that you love me and are with me even when I feel alone. Help me to love you enough to continue to praise and lift up your name even when I do not feel good or even feel like praying. In the midst of all things, help me to know that you are good always - that your love and goodness never change." 

The choice is yours. Will you divorce God when things are not going well, or press into Him even deeper and seek to know Him more intimately knowing that your heart is safe with Him? Will you press through? Fight through? Not give up? After all, real love...is patient...bears/endures all things....hopes all things....believes all things...never fails/never ends. God is looking for a people who will really love Him!

*Scripture references (in quotes) are paraphrases.

1. Matthew 6:9-10

2. Deuteronomy 4:40; 12:28

3. John 15:11-12

4. Isaiah 26:3-4

5. Psalm 37:4

The Heart of Worship is the Heart!

The reason God created us was for intimate fellowship and relationship with Him. When we worship, we have our hearts and minds on Him and our perspectives change to what they ought to be. The by product of worship should be His presence! And His presence produces transformation and blessing for our lives.

I've been in many worship services where I just sang along and there was no heart connection. I thought about other things going on and was not focused on God's presence. I wanted to hear the word and go on about my day.

Then there have been times when I have worshiped and experienced something unexplainable. For instance, one time when I was spending some time with God by myself I started singing to Him (a song I knew from worship-time at our church). Towards the end of the song, I changed the words to tell God what I felt for Him; I believe I changed the lyrics to make them personal from me to Him and to expressing my individual desire and longing for Him in my life.

When I did that, something broke within me and within the atmosphere around me, and His presence flooded in, consuming me. It was like a wind and a wave of peace, comfort, love and euphoria was engulfing me! At that moment I couldn't do anything but surrender, lift my hands. What I could muster to say with the English language could not begin to explain or describe my love, heart or worship towards God or contain what I was feeling or sensing. So all I could do was open my mouth with tongues of praise. This is what I long for and pursue now when I worship - to experience Him over and over.

Although I happened to be singing, the point was not the singing, but the changing of my heart. Worship is not just singing - its a lifestyle and singing is often a by product of that heart and lifestyle of worship. We can and should worship God with our gifts and in everything that we do because it all begins in the heart. Everything that we do can be as unto God - raising our children, spending time with grand children, family or friends, working our jobs, interacting with others, etc., etc.

We worship God because of who He is - wherever we are in our relationship with Him, and should pull on Him to be who we need Him to be (but maybe haven't yet experienced). I may say, "Lord, you're my father, my friend, my healer, my counselor, my teacher..." the list could go on. Worship is from the heart...an intimate connection between us and God.

I think King David from the Bible can give us even more insight into the heart of worship.

1.He was a WORSHIPER (see this in his many psalms from the book of Psalms, 1 Kings, and 2 Samuel).

2. He was also said to be a man AFTER GOD's own HEART.

3. And he allowed God INTO HIS HEART FULLY!

These things are connected.

Let's take a deeper look:

•Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. (Psalm 51:6 NKJV)

•Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart. (Psalm 26:2 NKJV)

•Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23, 24 NKJV)

•Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the Lord; Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven. (Lamentations 3:40, 41 NKJV)

•Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23 NKJV)

Worship is intimacy. Its letting Him into the hidden places of the heart, willingly letting Him know you openly & roam there and to clean out things that aren't supposed to be there so that you can enjoy each other's presence uninhibited. It's like allowing yourself to be naked before Him, allowing Him to see the scars and imperfections, and giving Him permission to love you anyway and make you feel like a new person after being with Him, engulfed in His presence.

Why do I keep bringing up the heart? Why is the heart so important?

It's because out of the heart flows the issues of life (Prov. 4:23). Everything we do and say stems or starts from the heart. If we guard/keep our hearts from the wrong things and let God in, His good will shall flow from our hearts and pour into what we say and do. We will be blessed, be a blessing and know Him intimately, not just know about Him on the surface.

In Matthew 15:8 God says "These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me."

This was not a judgment, fire & brimstone statement, but a love location announcement, helping the people to locate the reality of the condition of their hearts (and me of mine, us of ours). God wanted intimate fellowship with them (and with me, with us), but knew it would not happen if they (we) did not see where they (we) were so that their (our) hearts could change and they (we) could experience God's presence and all that comes along with it.

When we worship, we don't just want to be checking something off of our lists or just be repeating the words to a song. It all begins with the heart. To worship Him, it must be from the heart. Not just words, but worship in spirit and in TRUTH...the truth in our hearts.

We get out of the worship service experience what we allow into our hearts!