2 Kings 6:16So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.”

Have you ever felt like you were the only one or one of a few in your walk with Christ?  Sure we know that there are more than 2 billion Christians in the world, but some days when you are going thru life honestly, it  just seems like you’re alone.  The devil has specialized in isolating Christians over the years, whether it was in the Garden with Adam and Eve or in the asylum we set up in our own minds.  When he can get us alone we tend to focus on ourselves, our short comings and our faults rather than the awesome choice that Jesus made on the cross on our behalf.  About 3 and a half years ago my wife were introduced to Joseph Prince’s ministry and began to hear his teachings on God’s Loving Grace.  It has definitely changed the way receive from Jesus and walk in His love for us.  It was so simple and foundational that it was really difficult to accept at first, until the Lord began to show Himself in scripture like never before.

Rejuvenated by the Love of God and knowing how precious I am to Him, it became something I could not wait to share with everyone.  The issue I had was that it was not well received with those who I’d grown up with spiritually; it kind of made me feel isolated.  My wife and I really became the epitome of iron sharpening iron, encouraging each other in the Lord.  Even in that, it would often feel like you’re walking alone at times.

This past weekend I had an Elisha’s servant episode.  In this text Elisha’s servant that he and his master we isolated and surrounded by their enemy.  But what the servant did not realize was “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”  My oldest Son and I took a trip up to NJ to see Joseph Prince who was preaching in Newark, during his first preaching tour in America.  It was our first trip together, just the two of us.  I had a really great time, it was really cool and it reached a pinnacle for me when we found ourselves in the middle of praise and worship with well over 18 thousand other believers lifting up the name of Jesus Christ on one accord.  To see Jesus’ loving embrace caressing each one of us was tremendous.  I saw Jesus overflow my son’s heart with His joy, so much so that all he could do was cry.  He told me that he was so happy and he knew that Jesus loved him.  Are you kidding me???  It was as if Elisha was praying for me to have my eyes opened and that night I was reminded like Elisha’s servant “And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around ME.”

I get so irritated with my two boys every now and then, for many reasonsJ, but specifically for this blog, when I call them after they have done something wrong.  You see my ever playful and happy go lucky oldest son becomes stoic and depressed, his movement is slow and speech is nearly silent.  My overtly loud, flamboyant, loving and often obnoxious younger son becomes miniscule, basically disappearing with the only the top of his head visible to me, as he looks directly to the ground in horror.  My response is often “Pick your head up!! You weren’t looking like this when you did it, so why are you looking like that now.”   And this often shifts their countenance from extreme guilt and embarrassment to all out fear.  WHY??

Well it is obvious “they are no good little twerps that need a good hard beating to get them back in line.”  Of course not I love them both tremendously, but I know that this is how they feel sometimes because my anger has gotten the best of me and I may have smacked them upside the head, snatched them up  or whatever other method that honestly was more than acceptable when I was growing up J.  Now why I say this in just, most of us know that there have been times where we’ve over reacted because we were upset.  And the very thought of coming into my presence reminds my kids of those previous reaction to their mistakes.  While my wife and I (much like all of you) have tried our very best to respond and correct our kids in a way that most reflects God’s response to us, we have often and will at times fall so very short.

Fast forward the years and look at how many of us respond to God today, so often when we have failed, sinned or done something that is just way outside of our character; we find ourselves in a similar position when entering the Lord’s presence.  We feel the same embarrassment, shame and honestly fear.  The truth is the enemy will put on his best voice imitation to tell us all of the negative we’ve done and why we should feel shame in hopes of keeping us from going into the Lord’s presence at all or at least making us feel like this while we’re there.  HOW????  Because we too often see God as our father treating us in a similar way that we do or have been treated by our fathers…..that could not be further from the truth.

The Truth Is:
Hebrews 10:15-18
15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

The Holy Spirit reminds us that God was clear about why He sent Jesus.   Jesus’ shed blood was to introduce this new covenant that would relieve us from having to experience the above scenario when coming into the presence of God (or keeping you from entering His presence).  According to the Law “all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission (of sin),” Jesus’ blood allows God the ability to remember no more!!  We as parents don’t have that same ability (which is just one more thing that makes Jesus so precious).  There are so many times I wish I had that ability, because forgiveness would be so much easier.  While it is very difficult to comprehend with our finite minds, we can BY FAITH BELIEVE that God says “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”  You should not stop there, we also believe that “Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin”  Today there is remission, which Strong’s defines as release from bondage or imprisonment;  forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed), remission of the penalty.  Those were not my words but Jesus’.  Now that there is remission by the Blood of Jesus “there is no longer an offering for sin.”  There is no need for an offering because “It Is Finished!!!”  Once again Jesus’ words not mine.

Now nothing here exalts sin or advocates for sin, God hates sin (so do I) Sooooooooooo much, so much that He dealt with it forever on the Cross!!!.  And because Sin has been dealt with and forever destroyed, God will not remember them anymore….ON PURPOSE.  What is that purpose:
Hebrews 10:19-22
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 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.

Let His word minister to you, there is a lot in this passage, let it free you from the bondage that you’ve often subjected yourselves to.  Jesus loves you so much; allow His word to transform you with Boldness and Assurance.