“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 ESV
Let me be honest, these last two weeks have been a thrill ride. First was a week full of break through and blessings. Then a weekend bursting and overflowing with blessings and goodness. And another week full of progress, work, goodness and blessings. I showed up for God – Here I am. I am dressed, I am ready, and through God I am able. Just showing up has made all the difference in the world.
Dear Heavenly Father – Please help us to draw closer to you and show up for you. Help guide us and give us grace for our faith. Please open our ears to hear what you are saying. Please open our eyes to see and open our understanding that we may know you. Continually, all we want is more of you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen
Everything shifted. Everything shifted and these last two weeks are the result of this shift in my understanding – a revelation which is difficult to put into words.
If it isn’t exceedingly abundant – then God isn’t finished yet! I say it (or some variation) all the time.
God put me in a position, a few months ago, where He said, once again, “do you trust me and my will?”
I continually press in towards God and ask for His will, trusting confidently that it is good. It is better than anything I could manage. And that is when the shift happened… I SHOWED UP FOR GOD.
Until that point, saying and doing so many things right, I still erroneously expected God to show up for me. I read the verses about drawing near the throne of grace and I went to God. I wasn’t wrong. I was so close. I went to His thrown and expected Him to give me His ear and show up for me. And of course God hears our prayer and we can approach His throne, and yes I matter…. It is an ever so subtle shift, but the truth of this shift in my spirit is powerful and causes strongholds to crumble. I showed up for Him – NOT expecting Him to show up for me and I had a revelation. (A slow transformation came along with it.)
“Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.” Ephesians 3:12 NLT
I showed up in God’s presence and said “Here am I”. I was bathed in perfect love, I found so much mercy and grace that I almost forgot I had needs. This is something you will only learn through revelation OR from getting ready and going before God and saying: Here I am. I am ready. If any area of me isn’t ready, please make it ready. This is a prayer He answers with a YES. So be careful what you ask for – He will give this to you if you press in and show up!
The first step, has always been to give your life to Jesus – and do we think about what those words mean? We give ourselves to Him and give Him our life. There is nothing better than Him – we sing it, do we understand it? We sing that we give ourselves away, so you can use me – and do we comprehend the ALL that it entails? And most Christians stay here, and work this salvation out with fear and trembling which is good. What if there is more? What if we are just to kill the flesh, submit to His will, step over all this, and SHOW UP!
Here I am! I am ready! And this is where everything become and Alice in Wonderland, backward and therefore forward, experience. But here the power flows in the right direction.
Here I am God!!! And He says, well those stronghold must be removed from my presence and down they went. Years of asking Him to come remove them and all I needed to do was SHOW UP expecting to be used, ready to move on, and holding onto nothing. Yes, Here I Am God!
“Are you sure?” He asks like a gentleman.
I am all in! – And everything crumbled around me, Everything! and
He said, “are you still sure?”
“Of course, I have no use for anything except you, Lord. And you obviously have no use for those things either! I am blessed to have them removed!” I said with confidence that God is good and working all things out. I am confident He shall provide. I am confident He will preserve what is needed for the day ahead.
“So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6 ESV
AND
“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19 NKJV (which is this month’s memory verse – how are you doing on that?)
What can man do to me and nothing shall by any means harm me – Seriously, when will we make this real in our minds. Real as in uncompromised knowledge. God has brought me into a place of mercy and grace – as we saw at the beginning of this post, that place is His presence. And for weeks and weeks I have just been lost there oblivious to the attacks, the weapons formed against me, and the attempts on my life. I have been lost in the presence and goodness of my God – and man and demon have been completely unsuccessful.
Oh, they thought they had me, but I rejoiced in the Lord! He used them to deliver me out of their hands! A strategy only God could pull off! They thought they had me, but they have the shame of the other demons teasing them for working for the wrong team. What they thought would bring me down has raised me and blessed me exceedingly abundantly AND God isn’t done yet!!!!
What did I just say?!?! It is exceedingly abundantly AND God isn’t done yet! I might need to rework my original saying. No more staying that if it isn’t exceedingly abundantly then God isn’t done because it is and He still isn’t done!
I had finally showed up for Him. This isn’t an immediate change in an instant. This was work. While doing the work God took everything that wasn’t useful to Him out of my life. And left me seeing clearing that all I needed to do was show up without hanging on to anything. It is good – the God given kind of good. The kind where man might think you are crazy kind of good.
I will encourage any and every one to run into this with reckless abandonment. He will remove things. It is ok – they aren’t needed where we are going. He will add things, which is also ok because we will need those things.
By the way “IfNotForGrace” is growing and can be found on multiple social media platforms. In case anyone needs the links again –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/If-Not-For-Grace-539321116993125 – under the category of “book” and “retail” – YES, that does mean there will SOON also be a book release!
Instagram: “IfNotForGrace.blog”
Please let me know your thoughts now that I have a more interactive platform. I would love the opportunity to get to know you.
RELATIONSHIP:
Do you already have a relationship with a powerful God who cares about your every need because He loves you? Did you know my God can communicate with you and protect you – He has a plan for you to prosper if you just submit to His will and let His plan play out in your life!!! God wants a relationship with you and has already made a plan for your life. He loves you so much He sent His son to this world, to die as a sacrifice for your sins and rise from death with victory over sin and the ability to have a personal relationship with you.
“9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NIV
Here is a prayer for you to pray:
Jesus, I believe you are the way, the truth, the life, and the only way to the Father. I believe you are the son of God, you came to Earth and lived. That you died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins, and rose again so that I may be saved from my sins and be able to get to know you. I declare: Jesus, you are Lord!
Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me through a real personal relationship grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus I pray ~ Amen
MEMORY WORK: Luke 10:19
NKJV “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
NIV “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”
ESV “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”
AMP “Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you.”
Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!
BIBLE READING: Exodus 39-40 NKJV
Making the Garments of the Priesthood
39 Of the blue, purple, and scarlet thread they made garments[a] of ministry, for ministering in the [b]holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Making the Ephod
2 He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. 3 And they beat the gold into thin sheets and cut it into threads, to work it in with the blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, into artistic designs. 4 They made shoulder straps for it to couple it together; it was coupled together at its two edges. 5 And the intricately woven band of his ephod that was on it was of the same workmanship, woven of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
6 And they set onyx stones, enclosed in [c]settings of gold; they were engraved, as signets are engraved, with the names of the sons of Israel. 7 He put them on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Making the Breastplate
8 And he made the breastplate, artistically woven like the workmanship of the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and of fine woven linen. 9 They made the breastplate square by doubling it; a span was its length and a span its width when doubled. 10 And they set in it four rows of stones: a row with a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald was the first row; 11 the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 12 the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 13 the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in settings of gold in their mountings. 14 There were twelve stones according to the names of the sons of Israel: according to their names, engraved like a signet, each one with its own name according to the twelve tribes. 15 And they made chains for the breastplate at the ends, like braided cords of pure gold. 16 They also made two settings of gold and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 17 And they put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate. 18 The two ends of the two braided chains they fastened in the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front. 19 And they made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it, which was on the inward side of the ephod. 20 They made two other gold rings and put them on the two shoulder straps, underneath the ephod toward its front, right at the seam above the intricately woven band of the ephod. 21 And they bound the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would be above the intricately woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate would not come loose from the ephod, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Making the Other Priestly Garments
22 He made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue. 23 And there was an opening in the middle of the robe, like the opening in a coat of mail, with a woven binding all around the opening, so that it would not tear. 24 They made on the hem of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, and of fine woven linen. 25 And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates on the hem of the robe all around between the pomegranates: 26 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe to [d]minister in, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
27 They made tunics, artistically woven of fine linen, for Aaron and his sons, 28 a turban of fine linen, exquisite hats of fine linen, short trousers of fine woven linen, 29 and a sash of fine woven linen with blue, purple, and scarlet thread, made by a weaver, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
30 Then they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription like the engraving of a signet:
HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
31 And they tied to it a blue cord, to fasten it above on the turban, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
The Work Completed
32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished. And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses; so they did. 33 And they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings: its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets; 34 the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of badger skins, and the veil of the covering; 35 the ark of the Testimony with its poles, and the mercy seat; 36 the table, all its utensils, and the showbread; 37 the pure gold lampstand with its lamps (the lamps set in order), all its utensils, and the oil for light; 38 the gold altar, the anointing oil, and the sweet incense; the screen for the tabernacle door; 39 the bronze altar, its grate of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils; the laver with its base; 40 the hangings of the court, its pillars and its sockets, the screen for the court gate, its cords, and its pegs; all the utensils for the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 41 and the [e]garments of ministry, to [f]minister in the holy place: the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister as priests.
42 According to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work. 43 Then Moses looked over all the work, and indeed they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, just so they had done it. And Moses blessed them.
The Tabernacle Erected and Arranged
40 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 You shall put in it the ark of the Testimony, and [g]partition off the ark with the veil. 4 You shall bring in the table and arrange the things that are to be set in order on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and [h]light its lamps. 5 You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony, and put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 6 Then you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 7 And you shall set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 You shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen at the court gate.
9 “And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it; and you shall hallow it and all its utensils, and it shall be holy. 10 You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar. The altar shall be most holy. 11 And you shall anoint the laver and its base, and consecrate it.
12 “Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of meeting and wash them with water. 13 You shall put the holy garments on Aaron, and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. 14 And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. 15 You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to Me as priests; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.”
16 Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did.
17 And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was [i]raised up. 18 So Moses raised up the tabernacle, fastened its sockets, set up its boards, put in its bars, and raised up its pillars. 19 And he spread out the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent on top of it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 20 He took the Testimony and put it into the ark, inserted the poles through the rings of the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark. 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung up the veil of the covering, and partitioned off the ark of the Testimony, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
22 He put the table in the tabernacle of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil; 23 and he set the bread in order upon it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24 He put the lampstand in the tabernacle of meeting, across from the table, on the south side of the tabernacle; 25 and he lit the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 26 He put the gold altar in the tabernacle of meeting in front of the veil; 27 and he burned sweet incense on it, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28 He hung up the screen at the door of the tabernacle. 29 And he put the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30 He set the laver between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, and put water there for washing; 31 and Moses, Aaron, and his sons would wash their hands and their feet with water from it. 32 Whenever they went into the tabernacle of meeting, and when they came near the altar, they washed, as the Lord had commanded Moses. 33 And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
The Cloud and the Glory
34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would [j]go onward in all their journeys. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
Footnotes
- Exodus 39:1 Or woven garments
- Exodus 39:1 sanctuary
- Exodus 39:6 plaited work
- Exodus 39:26 serve
- Exodus 39:41 Or woven garments
- Exodus 39:41 serve
- Exodus 40:3 screen
- Exodus 40:4 set up
- Exodus 40:17 erected
- Exodus 40:36 journey
If Not For Grace 