Draw Near to God

Pastor Melvin Henry preach James 4:8; the message was draw near to God. Hebrews 13:5 says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. To the Monticello News staff it is always good to say thank you all for the time putting the News.

Hebrews 7:18-28 says Yes, the Old requirement about priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. For the law makes nothing perfect, and now a better hope has taken its place and that is how we draw near to God.

V. 20 God took an oath that Christ would always be a priest, but he never did this for any other priest. V.21 Only to Jesus did he say, “The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow; You are a priest forever.” V. 22 Because of God’s oath, it is Jesus who guarantees the effectiveness of this better covenant. V. 23 Another difference is that there were many priests under the old system. When one priest died, another had to take its place.

V. 24 But Jesus remains as priest forever; his priesthood will never end. V. 25 Therefore he is able, once and forever so save everyone who comes to God, through Jesus who lives forever to plead with God on our behalf.

V. 26 He is the kind of high priest we need because he is Holy and Blameless, (unstained) by sin. Lord keep me unstained by sin; this will be my prayer. He has now been set apart from sinners, and has been given the Highest place of Honor in Heaven.

V. 27 He does not need to offer sacrifices every day like the other high priests. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. [But Jesus did this once for all when he sacrificed himself on the cross.] V. 28 Those who were high priests under the law of Moses were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed His Son with an oath, and his Son has been made perfect forever.

Hebrews 8:1-13 says Here is the main point: Our high Priest sat down in the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. Yes, God has hands, that’s why I have hands made in the image of God. V.2 There he ministers in the sacred tent, the true place of worship that built by the Lord and not by human hands.

And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. If he were here on earth, he would not eve be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law of Moses.

They serve in a place of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave his this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the design I have shown you here on the mountain. But our High Priest has been given a ministry that is far superior to the ministry of those who serve under the old laws, for he is the one who guarantees for us a better covenant with God, based on better promises.

If the first covenant had been faultless; there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. V. 8 But God himself found fault with the old one when he said, “The day will come, say the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah our ancestors when he took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt.

They didn’t remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the Lord, but this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord:

I will put my laws in their minds so they will understand them, and I will write them on their hearts so they will obey them.

I will be their God, and they will be my people. For everyone, form the least to the greatest, will already know me. V. 12 And I will forgive their wrongdoings, and I will never again remember their sins. So remember what God has forgotten and stop reminding people of their past sin because you don’t want to be here with some things that don’t belong to you and not helping other people.

Hebrews 10:18 says Now when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. V. 19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s most holy place because of the blood of Jesus.

This is the new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us through the sacred curtain, by means of his death for us.

So let us draw near to him without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep this promise.

And let us think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and god deeds. Outburst mean laughter, strong feeling.

Because with Jesus’ help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name.

Don’t forget to do good and share what we have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to God. Amen, Amen, Amen Hebrews 13:15

Proverbs 28:21-22 Showing partiality is never good, yet some will do wrong for something as a small piece of bread. A greedy person tires to get rich quick, but it only leads to poverty.