Faith

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THE VEIL HAS BEEN RENT:
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When Jesus, from the cross, cried with a loud voice right before He died, “It is finished” the veil in the holy of holies was rent from top to bottom. Because of the shed blood of Jesus and because of His resurrection from the dead, this meant that we could now have access to God through the blood. We could now “come boldly to the throne of grace” with the assurance and confidence that we are enfolded in His love and covered by the blood of Jesus (Heb.4:15-16). God now looks at each of us through the blood ‘veil’ of Jesus.

The veil no longer separates and keeps us from coming into that most holy place to commune intimately with God, our Father. And yet, a veil of separation still remains. Not because of God, but because of His people. Because of the loving Father that God is: He wants His children to enter into that place of rest in Him. He wants us to come close to Him in that most holy place.

Throughout the Old Testament, God talked about His people entering into His place of rest. From Hebrews 3:7-12, “Wherefore as the Holy Ghost said, Today if you will hear His voice, 8-harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9-When your fathers tempted me, proved (tested) Me, and saw My works forty years. 10-Wherfore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart: and they have not known My ways. 11-So I sware in My wrath, They shall not enter into My rest. 12-Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”

Also from Hebrews 3:18-19, “And to whom sware He that they should not enter into His rest, but to them that believed not (were disobedient)? 19-So we see that they could not enter in (to His rest) because of unbelief.”

Of course, this speaks of physical rest as well. We see this when in Mark 6:31, Jesus told His disciples to come aside and rest because there were so many people following them and they had not taken the time to eat. Exodus 20:10 also speaks about the Sabbath rest that was given to the children of Israel from God’s law. Keep the Sabbath day holy. But from Psalm 116:7, David, in talking to himself while praying for deliverance from death says, “Return unto your rest, O my soul; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you." In the Hebrew text the word rest is manowach (maw-no’-akh) and it means, “A settled spot, a home (abode), quiet, a place of rest.”

The reference Scripture takes us to Matthew 11:29-30 where Jesus is speaking and extends an invitation to one and all as He says, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29-Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. 30-For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” This rest Jesus spoke of here is both physical and spiritual.

Through the Scripture’s, we see where the Lord refer’s to finding this resting place in Him. That's the key and if we track this even further, it will lead us to John 15:4-5 where Jesus is speaking again and says, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in Me. 5-I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in Me, and I in Him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without (apart from) Me, you can do nothing.”

The Greek word for Abide is meno (men’-o) and it means, “To stay in a given place, to dwell (live), relation, continue, remain.” (attached, joined, in union with---Italics are mine). This place of abiding---this place of rest is to be found in the most holy place in intimate fellowship and communion with God, the Father, in union with the Son Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

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THE VEIL OF UNBELIEF:
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The Israelite children couldn’t enter in to this place of rest because of unbelief. Just as we read from Hebrews, unbelief, which is sin because it’s not faith, will keep a veil over the “eyes” of your heart, thus, the heart becomes hardened against God. Then, how do we enter in to that most holy place? Just as the man prayed and asked Jesus, “Help my unbelief,” we are never to be ashamed or too proud to ask the Lord for the same help with our unbelief.

Romans 10:10 says, “For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.” We must enter in through faith, believing that the most holy place where your Father waits for you is available now at this present moment. It’s believing that you can approach your Father God because of His grace and the blood of Jesus that covers you so you won’t be consumed by the fire of His glory. It’s believing that you can do this because God says you can.

Joel 2:13 says, “And rend (tear) your hearts and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord, your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil.” The rending (tearing) of the garment that Joel spoke of was in reference to when Jesus would come and die on the cross because when He did, the literal veil in the temple would be rent (torn) from top to bottom, giving access to God in the holy of holies. Rending or tearing our hearts is not muttering to God, “I’m sorry” with no heart involvement and which yields no real fruit of repentance. In a case like this, save your breath, it’s an empty action of outward show. “Godly sorrow leads to repentance.” But being ‘sorry’ is not repentance itself.

So, we’re bing told here to pursue the truth and rip off that veil of unbelief over our hearts that keeps us separated and prevents us from entering into the holy of holies with God, our Father. When Moses came down off the mountain after having spent forty days and nights in the presence of God, his face shown so bright with the residue of God’s glory that it frightened the people. So much so that they begged Moses to put a veil over his face.

Have you ever been around someone that you know has spent more time than you in the presence of the Lord? Because they have, you will see and sense the residue of God’s glory still on them. And if you’re not seeking after God’s heart for yourself in this same way and spending time in His presence, you will tend to feel most uncomfortable. Why is this? Because the glory brings you to an awareness of sin in your life.

It’s sad but many of God’s very own people had rather continue to keep that veil in tact over their hearts because it‘s comfortable, even though it serves as a divider between you and the loving presence of God. This is because, as wonderful as the glory of God is that lifts you to limitless heights in Him, it will also illuminate sin in your life. It will reveal and strip you of any and all pride. It will bring you to a place of humility because you have encountered the very essence of God Himself---love. I John 4:8 says, “God is love.” As wonderful as it is to be in the glorious presence of God, it can also be a little frightening and leave you weak in the knees with reverent awe of the Person of God.

Thus, we want to keep those veils in place and stand afar off to just look on like the Israelite’s did when God came to the mountain to meet with them. Yet, we want the glory if we can have it on our terms. We want the presence of God, while at the same time we try to keep God at a distance because of sin still clinging to our lives. God wants to help us by His generous mercy and grace to “rend our hearts” and get rid of the veil of unbelief (sin) that keeps us separated from Him. That veil that keeps us from entering into His rest and co-laboring with Him.

It is in this place of rest that we cease from our labor, that is, trying to do the work in own strength and reasoning. It is in this place of rest that we learn fully what it is to become Co-laborer’s with Christ Jesus, seeing through His eyes that the fields truly are “white unto harvest.” We begin seeing through His eyes and experience His heart, His love and His compassion for the masses of humanity in the world that are wounded and hurt. Not only in the world but also in the body of Christ because of bad leadership through shepherd’s who are still wounded themselves. There are so many people who are torn by the rude awakenings of life, of trouble and devastation through the making of unwise choices.

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THE LORD WEEPS:
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Not long ago, the Lord spoke so clearly to me and said, “I weep for My sheep.” He went on to say, “a lot of My sheep have wandered over into foreign pastures (through false teaching) where the wolves (bad leadership) have attacked them (beat the sheep) and left them torn and bleeding.” He said, “I long to bring them into My good pastures where they can find healing and be made whole.” He ask’s for co-laborer’s to not only bring healing to His wounded sheep, but to also work in the fields to bring in the harvest of lost souls to the Kingdom of God. We are to encourage people to come into that place where they can feel His heart’s love and compassion for them as He does for all people.

Not long ago, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “Where are My weeping prophets?” He said this three times with the emphasis on the word ‘where.’ I felt the Lord’s urgency in this question as I knew that Jeremiah was called the “weeping prophet” who revealed the heart of God through His weeping for the people. And now, I felt the Lord’s compassion and remembered that Jesus, as the Prophet does, “weep for His sheep.” I knew that He was not only asking me but He was also looking for all His people to co-laborer with Him and enter into His work. To take His yoke and His burden that is light, and in that co-laboring with Jesus, we would find our rest in Him.

If you recall, as Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, right before He went to the cross, He stopped near the Mount of Olives and looked out over the city of Jerusalem and wept.

Luke 19:41-42, “And when He was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it, 42-saying, If you had known, even you, at least in this your day, the things which belong unto your (needed for) peace! but now they are hid from your eyes.”

With His heart breaking, He wept for the condition of unbelief and apostasy of His people. Jesus still weeps for His sheep and on this day when He spoke to me by His Spirit, He was saying, “Where are My weeping prophets who will weep with Me in this hour for My people and the condition of their unbelief?” Is the Church still in unbelief where Jesus, the Christ (the Messiah) is concerned? Yes, to a very great extent. The “eyes” of the Church, over-all, remains dry. There are no real tears or sounds of weeping for those matters on the heart of God. And what matters to God is people in all kinds of conditions.

David said many times in the Psalms of how God answered his prayer once He heard weeping coming forth from the very depths of his soul. David had discovered how to get behind the veil of unbelief over his heart and enter in to that most holy place with God. He was a man “after God’s own heart.” He penned those wonderful, healing and comforting Psalms from His experiences with God from behind the veil. Through them, he revealed the many aspects of God’s heart that would cause us to long for His loving presence and make us want to know Him more intimately. While at the same time, we would have an awesome fear of the Lord because of Who He is. The Lord God almighty, Who is the One true God. There is no other God but Him.

PROPHETIC WORD: (given by Don Nori))

“Do not be alarmed if I tell you that those churches that hurt, inflict pain and impose legalism and guilt are not built by Me. Churches which revel in adultery, slander or gossip were not built by Me. Any place where wolves are permitted to devour the sheep is not My handiwork. The Church I am building is built of broken hearts who are willing to be changed by My power and consequently can yield to My power.

These people will be as abundant as the dew in the morning. My Church does not stand idly by, watching their brethren be deceived by religious charlatans who milk and rob My people of money that should be used for My purposes. My Church is a haven from the storm. It is a place of rest and strength. The Church I am building is a Church strong in love and compassion. There is a highway in this Church---the highway of holiness. The unclean cannot walk its pavement, for it is for the redeemed of the Lord. They will walk this highway free from the oppression and bondage of men.

There will be none to devour in this Church, no lion lurking to tear asunder the people of God. There, I Myself will shepherd My people Israel. There I will gather My people to Myself. And the tug of the Spirit will be stronger than any wall you might be able to erect. I will draw My people to this Church. Walls of prejudice and envy will come crashing down as men and women of broken and contrite heart respond to Me quickly and with resolve within the veil. For this is My resting place forever. Here will I dwell. For I have chosen Zion, I have desired it for my habitation. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will shout with joy.”

Prophetic Word To Correspond:

“Many of My ministers and leaders are building their own kingdom’s thinking they are building mine. I have the blueprint for it, and just as Moses had to get the blueprint for the Tabernacle from Me within the place of My dwelling, so will men of today have to do the same. They must take the time to rend the veil and come into My presence, ready to lay down their own selfish plans and blueprints.

They must be willing to accept and carry out My will in the earth for My Church. Otherwise, they are only building hay, stubble and wood that won’t be able to stand up in the storms that come. What I build, hell itself will cave in when it tries to tear down and destroy. What is built by My hand will be solid and will stand throughout eternity. My Kingdom is forever. I will build and establish My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

The Lord Jesus is serious about the building of His Church. He is serious about His people and yes, He still weeps over His wounded and bleeding sheep, continually drawing them to Himself so He can bring healing and restoration. The Lord is looking for those who will allow Him to use them as vessels that He can weep and pour Himself through. He’s looking for those people who truly want to know His heartbeat through intimate relationship with Him. Are you one of those He is looking for?

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A RETURN TO THE OUTER COURT:
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Let us briefly refresh ourselves in what we began talking about at the beginning. And speaking of the beginning, we know that a person comes to have a personal relationship with God through receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This results in the new birth. You’re saved but as of yet, there is no real intimacy of fellowship. You’re in the outer court of the Temple, which is not a bad place to be. Thank God that by His saving grace, you’re there. From there, we come to know about God through His Logos Word, through reading it for ourselves and through the teaching and preaching of it through others.

Through these avenues, we gain knowledge of the mind and that is also good because Romans 12:2 says, that our minds need to be renewed by the Word of God. Our minds have to be restored back to thinking in line and in agreement with the Word. Our minds have to be conformed to the perfect will of God that produces the good fruit of righteousness in our thoughts, speech and actions. It is here in the outer court that you not only begin having your mind renewed to God’s Word but you also learn to pray and communicate with God. As I mentioned before, we must never become satisfied to remain here in the outer court because God desires that we move up higher in Him. Therefore, it is here that you’re faced with a decision to go on deeper with God, or remain in, as it were, in the shallow, stagnant water of religion.

It is also here that you often come to God with your prayer list in hand and you commence telling God everything you want Him to do for you like He‘s some errand boy in a dept. store. We so often, in this place, do all the talking and we don’t give God a chance to communicate to us what is on His heart concerning our lives and destiny. I remember one time when I was doing just this very thing--doing all the talking and not allowing God to get a word in edge-wise.

Finally, when I paused to take a breath, the Lord said, “I don’t hand select a certain few to talk to. I desire to talk to all my children, but they’re always busy doing all the talking and they listen little. Yea, I say, get still before Me and know that I am God.”

Well, needless to say, I got the message loud and clear, “Be quiet and let me get a word in edge-wise. I have a few things I desire to say to you.” I got quiet and He began to answer some questions that I’d been asking Him about for some time. Maybe we would get a few more questions answered quicker if we would just be quiet long enough to allow God to speak to us. But many are the times when we think, if we don’t talk, God won’t talk to us and if He’s silent, that would just be too uncomfortable for us to endure. It’s harder to endure unanswered questions about important things than it is to be a little uncomfortable.

Because we’re uncomfortable with the silence in God’s presence, we often just talk to hear noise. Sometimes in God’s ears, that’s all our incessant prattle amounts to---noise because we don’t have the patience to get still and listen. To sit at His feet and know that He is God. There are times when God desires and requires nothing more of us than to just sit quietly before Him and wait. Is this for nothing? Just wasted time? No. We are being taught, not only in developing patience, but also in learning to still our souls before Him. To bring every wandering thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, the anointing where it can be destroyed. We are learning obedience.

We’re learning in these times, to shut down everything else and focus on God and Him alone. We are also learning to silently worship Him from our spirits in this non-verbal intimate communion with our wonderful Lord and Savior. It’s in these times that you begin learning to see Jesus more clearly and behold His glory through the eyes of your heart. This doesn’t happen all at once and it doesn’t happen when we’re all super active in rattling off our all important prayer lists. It’s in this “rattling off” of a list of wants, classified in our thinking as needs, that we still only know God relationally. This translates to merely knowing about God. Jesus said, “Learn of Me.” You learn of Jesus:


1-Through the reading and meditating on the Word as its revealed by the Holy Spirit. 2-Through persuing intimate fellowship with Jesus. 3-Through prayer and intercession. 4-Through thanksgiving and praise. 5-Through worship of Him in Spirit and in truth. 6-Through spending quality time in His presence, allowing Him to communicate His heart to
you.

God, your heavenly Father desires to have you come before Him in prayer, praise and worship to have fellowship with Him. And in order to do this, the first thing you have to do is throw out your prayer list and come to get His. Throw out your agenda and come to get His agenda for your life. When you do this, you’re beginning to move into something so wonderful and so rewarding as a child of God that your imagination won‘t stretch far enough to comprehend it.

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JOURNEYING TO THE INNER COURT:
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When you begin your journey with Jesus after you’re born again, it is a journey that will move you from the outer court and into the inner court of the Temple of God. Once you come to the inner court, this is the place where you begin desiring to know more of God’s heart. It’s the place where you begin asking your Father to reveal to you what is on His heart. Not just about you and your life but concerning all matters of importance to Him. It is the place where you begin looking beyond self and become more “God-minded” and “other-minded.”

The inner court is the place where you desire to please your heavenly Father to a greater degree than ever before. While in the outer court, you thought little about pleasing God. You were more concerned with pleasing yourself. After all, you had your prayer list and you told God what you wanted Him to do for you. That was enough. You could then leave your prayer time and go about your business. And God had His business to do---grant all your prayer demands. While He did all of that, you could go on and not give God too much more thought for the remainder of the day or night.

It is true that we’re to come before God with our petitions, making prayers of supplication and asking in prayer that His promises would manifest in our lives concerning a need. But nowhere in Scripture are we told to come ranting and raving and making demands of God in arrogance while calling it bold praying in faith. We are to come to God’s throne with boldness---with confidence in Him and in the promises of His Word, believing that He hears and answers our prayers of faith according to His will, not our‘s. We’re all guilty of coming before God in arrogant praying.

When I saw that I was guilty of this very thing, I was deeply ashamed and repentant of my irreverence to God, my Father. As a parent myself, I could see clearly how I would feel if my own child was to come to me in this same fashion, never saying I love you, or thank you and then after making demands, leave my presence. I would feel dishonored, taken for granted and very hurt. Even though my child’s behavior wouldn’t change my love for them. It would be because of my love for them that I would feel the hurt. Our heavenly Father feels these things beyond what we can understand because of His great love for each of His children whom He delights in. Let us take care to give Him, Who gave to us so great a salvation through His Son, the honor and reverence He is due.


Plain As Day Ministries

Shirley Williams
1-9-03

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