Access To God Now

2007 Isa 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

April 2, 2006

Access to God NOW

Kathleen Maples

Psa 65:4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. Blessed means "happy". To choose, means to select, acceptable, appoint, choose, join, require. Approach means bring near, cause to come near, to join, make ready, stand. Cause to bring forth. So God wants to make people happy by selecting them to come near to him so he can satisfy them with his love and goodness. We can't approach him unless he draws us. Sinners don't go looking for God, he goes looking for them. This is truly an honor that God bestows upon people. We only have access to him because HE wanted us to have it. And if he wanted us to have access to him it is because he wants to spend time with us. It was a very costly access. It cost the life of his Son. What a mind-blowing thought that the Creator who owns everything would want to spend time with me. Just me and him. Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto t h e Father, but by me. To get to God, you have to believe in his Son and repent of your sins, and be washed by his blood which happens when you give your heart to the Lord, and confess you're a sinner and in need of a Savior. Then you trust him to save you. We have to go through the name and the blood of Jesus. Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. We don't have to be afraid of God, we can be at peace with him, through Jesusby faith. It's because of Jesus that we have access-through him, to the grace which we stand in, and can rejoice in the hope laid before us. Hope of eternal life with the Lord in heaven. Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

The word peace used in verse 14 means one, quietness, rest, one with him. You're no longer resisting him and what is right, you are embracing him and his righteousness. Resting securely in his love, and redemption.

Eph 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, Eph 3:11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: Eph 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. What are the unsearchable riches? His fullness, his abundance, his life, his light, his mercy, his grace, truth, power, forgiveness, patience with us. I don't know what all he has, but his word promises he has everything I need-it's all in him. Col_2:2-10 His wisdom, knowledge, understanding, strength, glory. His love for us. He wants us all to see what is the mystery. I looked up that word "fellowship" although I know it means to have communion with. It also means "partnership, participation, communicate, distribution." He wants us to participate in fellowship, relationship with him. To partner with him in the leading of lost souls to the light and love of the Lord so they can be saved. And principalities means " powers, magistrates, rule, chief," powers means "privilege, force, competency, freedom, mastery, potentate, delegated influence, authority, jurisdiction, liberty, right, strength." Wow. And boldness means assurance, confidence, free and open, plain. Access-means admission granted. Accepted. Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; Heb 10:21 And having a high priest over the house of God; Heb 10:22 Let 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. You can read Eph_5:26 and know he's talking about the washing of the water of the Word of God. Reading, soaking in his word, is a cleansing thing. Jesus said now are ye clean through the word I have spoken to you. Joh_15:3. You can’t just casually approach God, taking anything for granted. You have to come by the door-through the blood of his Son, through faith in his finished work at Calvary that paid for your past sins, confess and repent and reject of any known sin, and forsake it. He is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. (Psa 89:7) He’s not one you can talk to just any old way. It grates on my nerves when I hear that awful phrase “the man upstairs.” He is not a man. He is a Holy God. He is all powerful, all knowing, all seeing, yet he lets us live. Amazing. Sometimes I

wonder at his goodness and mercy when I see the condition of the world around me and wonder that he has not destroyed this world yet. 1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: He willingly left the throne of glory, where he was in the bosom of the Father(Joh_1:18; Joh_1:1-2;) You can read in John 17 how he reminisces in prayer, this wonderfully intimate conversation between Father and Son, about the closeness and the bond he had with the Father. Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which Ihad with thee before the world was. I can't begin to imagine the glory he had in heaven with the Father. But he left it to suffer for the sins of an ungrateful world. Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; Jesus said no man cometh unto the Father but by me. Joh_14:6; He says since I'm his, he dwells in me to perfect me, to keep me, teach me, guide me, walk with and in me. Work in and through me. I am his habitation. The place where his Holy Spirit dwells. He abides in me. He is the Treasure that lives within. The Word says "Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world."1Jo_4:4; The Holy Spirit reveals him to me, teaches me who He is, as I make myself available, seeking quiet time in his presence to commune with him, and read his Word. He opens my understanding and gives me the knowledge of God that I need. He shows me that which is Christ. I must have this knowledge, and his presence in my life to make it in these last days. There is so much deceit and different religions, and different doctrines, and false prophets, so many claiming to be sent of God, to speak for God, saying you have to do this to make it, you have to do that, you can't do this. Too many voices in the world. Without the Spirit of God, without drawing close to him and learning his voice, how can you not be led astray? I must have this Comforter he promised, and he knew I would need him. He knew the church, his Bride, would need him. He is the One I shall listen to. Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he s h all teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, wha t soever I have said un to you. Jesus said his sheep know his voice and a stranger they will not follow. (Joh_10:5) Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

If you have the Spirit of Truth in you, and you listen to him, and commune with him, then you won't be deceived, how could you be? His word will be different from the voices, from the world. From my carnal mind. His word will be truth, and at times, my flesh won't like it. I may not understand it. But he will bear witness with my Spirit of the truth of God's Word and Christ. Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come un to you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of s in, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; Joh 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, a nd ye see me no more; Joh 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. Joh 16:12 I have yet m any things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will s how you things to come. Joh 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it un to you. Joh 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore s aid I, that he s h all take of mine, a nd shall show it unto you. Jesus promised to send the Comforter. He kept his promise. What does he come for? Comforter means intercessor, consoler, advocate. (Strong's Greek Dictionary) He comes to reprove the world of sin. Reprove means to admonish, convict, convince, tell a fault, rebuke. He convinced me I was a sinner when I was under his conviction, by opening my eyes to the reality of how sin was destroying my life, and the root cause of the torment in my mind and heart. He also shows righteousness, equity, he points out the righteous to the world and exposes the difference between the two in doing so. He reproves of sin, and unbelief, and he guides his people into all truth, though he doesn't talk about himself, he hears what is said in heaven between the Father and the Son and that is what he shows us. He'll show us things to come or go. I looked this up in the Strong's Greek, and this phrase means "things to come or go, things that will accompany, appear, bring, come, enter, fall out, grow, pass, be set." Sounds like He's going to show me how he's going to change my life, how it will affect my future, and those around me. I'm sure he warns his children of coming events, if they need to know so they can be prepared. If I commune with him, and stay close and let him lead, then I have no excuse for being caught unprepared at any time, do I? This is Divine Help that God makes available to those who love him, keep his commandments, and obey him, in faith. In the dangerous, psychotic world we live in, this offer from God is priceless and obedience and surrender is a small price to pay. I look at my children, and I see how the pull of the world, and the materialistic greed tries and tempts our young people. How it draws them, and shames them into wanting to follow the crowd the wrong way. The cruelty of young kids, in the middle schools and high schools, how they mock and make fun and threaten, and so hastily get angry over the least little slight, real or imagined. There is so much temptation, with sex, drugs, peer pressure, schools that teach that stupid “theory” of

evolution and then wonder why children act like animals? You tell them they come from monkeys, and then you wonder why? My heart grieves and mourns for the vast majority of young people in this country are being heavily influenced by the spirit of this age, and many are tormented by spirits of suicide, and depression. Doctors, parents and teachers don't know what to do, so they diagnose some new disease, give it a fancy name, and prescribe some drug that is supposed to calm them down, but doesn't solve the problem, at all. And when that doesn't work, then thoughts of suicide begin to be more frequent as their feelings of hopelessness increase. What they are searching for is love and acceptance. Relief from the pain. They all have a great big empty hole inside that aches to be filled, but they are putting in things that don't fit, and won't, because when God created us, HE put that empty place inside us so he could draw us to himself, and only HE can fill that emptiness. I speak this from experience. Anti-depressants aren't the answer. Psychologists and therapy are not the answer. Self-help books are not the answer. These people who run around saying "think positive, speak positive, and life will be hunky-dory," what are they going to tell those they've deceived when it hits the fan and things fall apart? Oh, YES we need the Comforter. We need his guidance and vision to teach our children, pray divine protection over them, to keep them from the claws of an angry, hostile world and the devil who causes such havoc in it. It is not an easy thing to go down on your knees and try to pray when immediately your flesh will start to battle you, or get sleepy, or your thoughts will race in many different directions, and you have to reign it in, and bring it under subjection, focus on the Lord, and talk to him, draw near to him. The enemy will try to tell you it is useless there’s no point, God is not listening, or won’t hear you, for whatever reason. Don’t listen to a known liar. Seek GOD, his strength, his wisdom, direction, and help. In my own self, I am not capable of raising children right, or helping anyone else. I am not able in my own strength to stand against the world, my flesh, and the devil or his lies. That's why God gives us his word, and his Spirit to understand it and teach it to us. We need it. It's our defense and weapon against the lies. We can't accept anything at all but THUS SAITH THE LORD. No other gospel will cut it folks. I have to be willing to fast and pray and seek his face for my family. I can't sit on my butt and say well God said this, and expect him to just hand it to me on a silver platter. He doesn't have spoiled brats, he has children who follow the example of his Son. If Jesus Christ came into this world, to serve and minister to others, at the expense of his flesh, his life, and suffered so greatly under the abuse this world heaped on him, how can I think I can get by with no suffering, no discipline, and no sacrifice? To believe that I'd have to convince myself I was better than Jesus. NEVER! My children need him. My husband needs him. My family, friends, neighbors, brothers and sisters need him. Everyone needs him. And I love him. To know him is to love him. And when you begin to know him, and understand who he is, what he has in store, and how he doesn't want it stop with you, he wants it to flow out to others around you, that they too can be brought into his kingdom and share in his love and light, is it such a hard thing to go on your knees

before the King of Kings, when I am part of the Bride he is coming for, and spend time with him, learning of him so I can help others find him? It's that simple. The devil tries to complicate things.

I don’t want people to go to hell. We can't expect our families to get saved unless we act in faith on the promises of God. Pray them to pass. Don't be fooled into sitting idle expecting God to move when you won't. He doesn't work that way. My hearts' desire is to be so full of HIM that those around me will be drawn to HIM so they can be saved. I’m not there yet, but I’m pressing forward. I’m not giving up. He’s taking me there. He said in John 14 that greater love hath no man this that he lay down his life for his friends. If I love him, then I gladly turn over the reigns, the responsibility of guiding my own life to him. He is the One who sees what is ahead and knows which way I should go. When I lead, I err. I make mistakes. It's human and it's the natural end result of humans leading. Look at the condition this world is in as a result of people being in charge. No matter what country you come from, there is corruption, sin, destruction, families breaking up, division, strife, hatred, anger, prejudice, addiction, fear....and I could go on and on. But when God leads, when he's in charge, and I seek and trust his counsel, and then FOLLOW IT (he won't give it if he knows I'm not going to heed it ) He’ll try to warn me, through the preacher, or through someone he might send to talk to me. But if he knows I'm not serious, he won't answer my pleas for guidance. But when I get down to business, realize I'm helpless to guide myself right, and trust his way is better, and desire his way more than any other, he promises he will guide me. Pro_3:6, Psa_32:8, Isa_30:21. And that is just 3 promises of many. What a wonderful God he is. How blessed and grateful I am to have him and know he is willing to guide me. That he would even know my name among the billions of souls on this planet. That he would hear my prayers. I know he does. He said "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Come humbly. Come honestly. Come often. Come expecting. Seek him while he may be found. He's coming soon, and there is so much at stake, and so much to be done. We can't afford to miss him, folks. Don't buy into that lie that you can get saved after the rapture. Ask yourself why there has been no opposition to the Left Behind books and movies? Society, who is trying to kick God out of everything, who protest our military chaplains praying in the name of Christ for fear of offending some other religious people, who protest the mention of his name at city council meetings or high school graduations, who take down the ten commandments off the courthouse walls, throw out the righteous law of God and you are left with chaos-courtroom shootings...violence-and the left wing movement that wants to cancel Christmas, even, has never so much as whimpered about these books and movies. They are wildly popular. If the message has a little truth and little fiction mixed in, it won’t save you. It corrupts. The theology behind these books is “You can repent if you miss the rapture and be saved.” The destruction that will ensue is glamorized. They make it look cool to fight with the resistance against the antichrist. But, a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Consider

what I say and the Lord give thee understanding: If it takes the Holy Spirit to convict and convince of sin, to show a man or woman they are wrong, how will they know without him? Consider this: 2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Iniquity is abounding on all sides everywhere you go. You know what with holds-the Holy Ghost is preventing the devil from assuming full control of this world and its people. Right now the call of grace is out there, Come, whosover will hear his voice, TODAY harden not your hearts, he said. In verse 7 above, he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way. If you take the time to dig in to that you will see that means to retain, seize on, hold fast, keep, possess, stay, hold back. The Holy Spirit is what holds back much of the flood of evil the enemy is trying to spill on this earth. Much of the tragedies we see in the news are brought on my rebellion and sin. But when the Spirit of Truth is taken out of the way-which he will be when he catches up the Bride to meet her Bridegroom in the air, he goes with her. Without the Spirit of Truth on earth to convict people, who is going to repent? Who's going to know truth from a lie? Without the Spirit to open this Book to me, it's a dead letter. 2Co 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Without the Spirit of God you can't know and understand his word. Without the conviction of the Holy Ghost ask yourself how are people going to be moved to repent? Don't let yourself be deceived in to thinking you can make it after the rapture. If you can't live for God now, with the help of the Holy Ghost, and the Lord Jesus, and the Word, and the grace of God all freely available to help you know and understand, HOW will you do it when the day of grace is closed, tribulation falls on this earth, the church is gone, and with her the Holy Ghost. Then what? When those left here will be forced to take the mark or die? When

their babies are hungry and crying, where will they get the strength to stand up for God then? Those who have the opportunity for truth to accept it now and reject it for whatever reason-and all you have to do to reject it is put it off. You don't have to do anything, really, just don't open the door when he knocks on your heart, and you feel that tug of the Spirit urging you to pray, reminding you of your need for HIM, and when you don't open the door, by your own behavior you are saying "I don't have time for you. I don't want you. Go away." Isn't that what you do when someone you don't like comes knocking at your home, and you don't answer, or when the phone rings, and you look at the ID box and see it's a telemarketer and you don't answer on purpose? Heb 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, Heb 3:8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: Heb 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. He is coming back. He is coming for his own. Not for those who name his name but for those in whom he is glorified, those who have given him their hearts and lives and spent time with him, and who love him. Who really love him. What is the test if you love him or not? If you love him, you’ll keep his commandments. Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. 1Jo 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 1Jo 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1Jo 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1Jo 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Not everyone that says they love Jesus really does. Not everyone who says they are Christians are really his. 2Ti 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. This is too important to take lightly. If you know him, if you’ve tasted of him you will not want the same things you did when you were in sin. He’s coming back and oh how we need to be ready. We can’t miss Him. Our lost loved ones need us to get a hold of God and not let go and see him bring them in. We don’t need to tell people they are going to hell, if they aren’t saved, we need to love them, and pray the Lord will show them the truth.

Joh 4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. Mat 9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Mat 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.