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Draw Near

“Let us …” Part 1

by TerryLema January 7, 2023

Shortly before the New Year celebration I received a verse in my daily email out of Hebrews 10. It struck a nerve, so I opened my Bible to the passage and read the verses around it.

In my Bible, Hebrews 10 begins with the title, “The Perfect Sacrifice,” and speaks of the perfect sacrifice of Christ Jesus for sin, a sacrifice that need never be repeated just because it is “perfect.”

The title for the end of Hebrews 10 passage in my Bible is “Warning Against Deliberate Sin.” I guess that speaks for itself. But in the middle I found my daily verse under the title “Exhortations to Godliness.” Inside that passage I also found a few more similar refrains.

The first reminds us that “since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus by a new and living way … and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.” [vs 19-22 HCSB]

Look at those verses again. Look at that repeated word “since.” Since we have boldness (through the blood of Jesus), and since we have a great high priest (awaiting us), let us draw near (in full assurance of faith).

When we draw near to God, we have the full assurance of everything that follows that word “since.”  We know the new and living way is open to us, and we know our Great High Priest Christ Jesus our LORD is awaiting us.

In this new year 2023, let us draw near more often and with greater assurance than ever before. I am sure the new year 2023 is going to present many challenges that will demand we do so.

January 7, 2023 0 comment
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Draw Near

by TerryLema January 5, 2021

There are lots of things on my mind as I approach this new year. To begin with, I have five doctor appointments in the month of January that will demand my attention. There are things at church in the first few months, board meetings and an annual business meeting that will also require consideration. Then, of course, there is also that pursuit of spiritual maturity I wrote about yesterday. I should also mention the virus-and-fear pandemic which probably will not disappear quickly despite the dispensing of the vaccine.

You probably could also make a list of things that demand your attention and tap into your energy. So how do we balance what we must do with what we should do?

One of the “let us” phrases found in the Book of Hebrews reminds us of a resource we often forget.  It is found in Hebrews 10.  “Since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” [Hebrews 10:21-22 HCSB]

We have a High Priest … a GREAT High Priest. He is Christ Jesus our LORD and Savior. He sits at the Right Hand of the Father and continually makes intercession for us. He invites us to “draw near [to Him] with a true heart in full assurance of faith.”

We often forget the strength, wisdom and knowledge that is available to us by drawing near to Christ Jesus. We often forego the peace and joy that is ours when we seek Him. We often ignore His encouragement to dwell in His presence.  Instead, we try to go it alone, usually without success.

I want my 2021 focus to be on my Savior and LORD. I have no idea what the next year will hold, whether we will see the virus-and-fear pandemic lesson or depart … or whether things will get worse not better. I do know with great certainty that if I focus on Christ Jesus and draw near to Him, I will have the resources needed for whatever comes my way.

“Let us draw near” to our Great High Priest! Amen.

January 5, 2021 0 comment
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Let Us

by TerryLema May 14, 2020

If you spend much time in the Book of Hebrews, you will notice it is ripe with the phrase “let us.” Sixteen times in the NIV, thirteen in the NKJV we find the admonition “let us ….”

Those phrases give us much to ponder in how we walk with our God. Let us look at a few over the next couple weeks beginning with “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.” [Heb 10:22]

Directly before this verse, the writer of Hebrews tells us that we can have confidence to enter the Presence of God, the Most Holy Place, because of the sacrifice of our Savior Christ Jesus. He opened a new and living way for us so that we can now draw near to God.

While Jesus opened that new and living way so that we can draw near to God, the act of “drawing near” is ours. God does not force us to draw close to Him. He will urge us, woo us, remind us, encourage us, love us and sometimes discipline us to do so, but the decision to draw near to God will always be ours.

God is always with us. His Spirit dwells within us. But the “awareness” of His Presence is ours to pursue and achieve. It is a life-long work, as well as a moment-by-moment quest. The more we recognize God’s Presence with us, the stronger our faith, the more courageous our actions, the higher and loftier our desires, thoughts and emotions. The world, our flesh and the devil will always try to intrude and hinder the awareness of God’s nearness. It is up to us to render them unable to do so.

With the events of the last few months and what may be in our future, beloved, we need to draw closer to God than ever before. I think we may need very last bit of courage and strength found in Him to not just survive as believers in an increasingly dark world, but to also thrive as children of God.

May His Presence be with us in ever increasing measure. God bless you. Amen.

May 14, 2020 0 comment
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Pastor Terry Lema

Pastor Terry Lema has been married for 53 years, and has 3 children and 3 grandsons. Terry graduated from Trinity Bible College, and and recently retired as Lead Pastor at The Way Church in Middleton, Idaho.

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