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CURRENT RADIO SERIES The Power of Prayer   CURRENT TV SERIES Angels

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.             2 Timothy 2:15 I remember when I was a student at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, and there was a group of young men who were preparing to go into ministry. They had come in as ministerial students and they liked to talk about how they pictured themselves up on platforms and in pulpits, preaching and winning people to Christ. But so often when Sunday morning would roll around, these same guys who wanted great public ministries wouldn’t even get out of bed to go to church. And then they wondered later why God couldn’t use them. It’s because they weren’t prepared! You see, God wants to use you to do something great. But you have to make yourself available to Him if you want to be used! It seems like there’s a prevailing attitude among so many Christians today that God will excuse and compensate for their laziness. But today’s passage couldn’t be clearer… preparation is key! Are you currently preparing yourself for the next great way God wants to use you? Or are you content to simply sit and wait, hoping God will bless your non-efforts? Do your best to be prepared so when the time is right, God can look at you and say, “Now, let’s go!” CHRISTIANS SHOULD ALWAYS BE PREPARING FOR HOW GOD WILL USE THEM NEXT. SO AS YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE, GROW IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN HE’LL CALL! The Opened Veil by Dr. Paul Chappell “And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.” Luke 23:44–47 Though the Ark of the Covenant was a tangible symbol of God’s presence among His people for most of the Old Testament, it was usually hidden. During the Exodus and the early days in the Promised Land it was carried by priests from one place to another. But after that, it was normally kept first in the tabernacle and later in the temple in a special place known as the Holy of Holies. No one was allowed to enter except for the high priest, and he could only do that once a year on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. But Jesus came not just to fulfill the law and be our salvation, but to provide a new way for man to have access to God. No longer would there be a veil concealing God’s presence from His people. Now the way was open. As Jesus hung on the cross, the veil was torn apart by unseen hands from top to bottom, symbolizing that man could now enter the presence of God because of Jesus’ blood. Sadly, many Christians never take full advantage of the amazing blessing of the access to God’s presence offered to us through grace. Hebrews 4:16 invites, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” We have every right to approach God confidently, not because of our merit, but because of the sacrifice of His Son. Today’s Growth Principle:  Do not fail to receive God’s help because you do not enter His presence and seek His face.