I established last week that for guaranteed relief the number to dial is 8-476-634-7223 (THRONE GRACE). Your call will be answered from the throne of grace. Yet there is even greater news.
Your call will be answered by Jesus. No operator or assistant will put you on hold or tell you Jesus is not in or ask if you want to leave a message. Your call will always be answered by Jesus. And what’s so great about that? Jesus is the great high priest. He is, first of all, a priest for us. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.”(Hebrews 4:14-15)… “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered…” (Hebrews 5:7-8) We need someone who understands us, who can identify with us, to represent us at the throne. That someone is Jesus. He makes the ideal priest because He came all the way into our world and our lives. Jesus meets us where we are so He can act before God on our behalf. The very Son of God has come all the way into our situations, understands our weaknesses and temptations; He has totally identified with us.
At the inhuman prison in Germany every Friday the Nazis made the prisoners completely undress for medical inspection. The women were humiliated at having to march by grinning guards. On one of those mornings Corrie TenBoom wrote, “Yet another page in the Bible leapt to life for me. ‘He hung naked on the Cross.’ I had not known – had not thought…the paintings, the carved crucifixes showed at the least a scrap of cloth. But this, I suddenly knew, was the respect and reverence of the artist. But oh – at the time itself, on that other Friday morning – there had been no reverence. No more than I saw in the faces around us now. I leaned toward Betsie, (her sister) ahead of me in line. Her shoulder blades stood out sharp and thin beneath her blue-mottled skin. ‘Betsie, they took HIS clothes too.’” Jesus is the ideal priest for us.
And Jesus is also the ideal priest for God. “We have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God…” (Hebrews 4:14) He comes to us on God’s behalf; He represents God. “No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. “And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5:4-6) Jesus is someone who not only understands, but who can also help. “Such a high priest meets our need–one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever. The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.” (Hebrews 7:26-8:2) Jesus not only understands – He can help. Jesus puts us in touch with God; He has clout with God.
There’s an old story about a man walking down the street – let’s call 
him Pete. Pete fell into a hole. The walls are so steep he cannot get out. Pete hears someone walking by and hollers up “Can you help me out?” The walker was a doctor so he wrote out a prescription, threw it into the hole, and moves on. Hearing another person walk by Pete shouts up “I’m down in this hole. Can you help me out?” The walker was a pastor so he writes out a prayer, throws it into the hole, and moves on. Pete hears another person walking by and hollers up again. This walker is a friend of the man so he jumps into the hole to be with him. Pete exclaims, “Are you stupid? Now we’re both in the hole!” His friend replies, “Yeah, but I’ve been down here before, and I know the way out.” Jesus is the Priest for us and for God; He’s been in our holes and knows the way out. He not only understands, but he can help.
Jesus, in fact, has already helped us – for Jesus purchased our salvation. Since only one who is holy could enter into the presence of God, only Christ could enter. “…once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him…” (Hebrews 5:9) In Him the Scriptures are fulfilled. In Him we can return to our Father. Remember the parable of the Prodigal Son? The young son greatly offended and disowned his father by claiming his inheritance early. 
He then wasted it all on lavish, foolish, sinful living. When he finally realized the error of his ways he returned home to his father – who raced out to greet him with open arms, and threw a feast to celebrate his return. Because of Jesus, we can always return to our Father.
Jesus is the source of salvation for all who come to him. Jesus left the eternity of heaven to carry our sorrows and bear our sins, and to taste our death. And when He did: “…at that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely, he was the Son of God.” (Matthew 27:51) And He was – and is. For fast relief dial up the throne of grace and speak with Jesus, the great High Priest.
God’s grace is complete and full! This is not the great white throne of judgment – this is a throne of grace! God’s sovereign power and dominion are rooted in love and grace. Our Divine Aid is rooted in love and grace. From the throne we will receive loving favor, even if we are utterly undeserving. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords has a grace-filled heart! To dial the throne is to tap into grace!
(as well as the attention of many others!) She responded to a video of fired Trump staffer Omarosa Manigault Newman saying “Everybody who’s wishing for impeachment might want to reconsider. We would be begging for days of Trump back if [Vice President Mike] Pence became president… He’s scary.” Newman, said, “I’m a Christian. I love Jesus, but he thinks Jesus tells him to say things.” Behar quickly chimed in with her view. “It’s one thing to talk to Jesus. It’s another thing when Jesus talks to you. That’s called mental illness — if I’m not correct — hearing voices.”
I was intrigued, although not surprised by a news item coming from the Olympics. One of our American athletes was upset that he did not get selected to carry the American flag during the opening ceremonies. He was upset with the selection process. Perhaps he should have been selected. Perhaps the selection process is flawed. I have no way of knowing these things. But I do understand the emotion that prompted his public comments and that is why I was not surprised.
and honor their countries. But the reality is that for most athletes it’s a time to win and be honored. I’m not saying that’s bad or wrong. Rather my issue is that we all too easily equate honor with winning, with being selected to hold the flag. Honor is equated with being the top dog, the most popular, or the most respected. Honor goes to the one who hangs out with or is seated by people of influence. I understand because I’ve too often been there and believed that.
earthly days He was hanging on a cross, condemned to die as a criminal but chosen to die for the sin of the world. His final words, at the end of the day, were “Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit.” What’s significant is that these words are from Psalm 31 – they were not new; they formed a familiar prayer for the Israelites. Beginning at an early age these words were uttered by the children at bedtime as they placed themselves in unshakeable trust in the hands of the Father. They are really very similar to the spirit of our “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If Jesus comes before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take” (or some variance thereof).
with Jesus. In doing so He has brought us into His family. What’s amazing is that Paul is referring to the Corinthian church. If ever a church was far short of what it ought to be, this was it. Immorality was rampant, a code of ethics was all but non-existent, and her theology was badly tainted. Yet, says Paul, her members are sanctified – they are saints. And so are we! Because of Christmas we have been given the position of being children of God – brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ! At our baptisms, God put his mark, his seal, his brand upon us. He gave us the same royal status as that of His Son!
substance. An apple has a core. Plums and peaches have pits. But an onion is merely the sum total of its layers. It is so easy for us to simply become the sum total of what others expect or want us to be. There’s a layer for the boss, one for the spouse, one for the children, one for the coach, one for the church. Soon we lose track of our identity. Never forget who you are! You are a brother, a sister, of Jesus Christ. You are a saint!
passage on the first steamer leaving Rotterdam, settling for accommodations in steerage rather than waiting for another six months to travel in the grand style that her relatives had planned for her. A thoughtful purser, familiar with this common choice among families anxious for reunions, discreetly offered the hospitality of the upper decks of the ship during the day. Greta declined this privilege, however, and remained sequestered in her dark, rancid, and noisy quarters for the fourteen long days of her journey. My aunt called this ‘minding one’s place.’ She never presumed that there was anything more to sailing across the menacing Atlantic Ocean than enduring volcanic tosses from her mildewed perch until reaching land safely on the other side. Only on disembarking in New York Harbor did Greta behold what she had been missing. On those upper decks that she had regarded as off limits were tapestries, chandeliers, wood-carved cornices, oriental rugs, silver, gleaming crystal, and buffets laden with exotic and plentiful food and drink. Most alarming of all, though, there were people just like Aunt Greta, stranded in fourth-class sleeping accommodations, who had accepted the invitation of the venerable steamship company and had toddled above to enjoy the treasures daily. ‘Imagine,’ my aunt would gasp. ‘It could all have been mine, too, had I only said yes.”
streets – they were preparing to watch the circus parade into town. So the boy joined the crowd and this was the grandest thing he’d ever seen. Caged animals snarled, bands played loudly, midgets performed acrobatics, and the clowns brought up the rear. As one of the clowns passed by the little boy reached into his pocket, took out his dollar bill, and handed it to the clown. With that he turned and went home. As far as he knew, he had seen all there was to see of the circus – but he had only seen the parade. Things are not always what they seem!
This was a prayer on behalf of Israel for God to ‘come down’, to break in, to invade their private spaces, to rescue their lives and souls. Eventually God broke in. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
picture. He posits the reason for the condition of the world: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness…” Then he lists the consequences of this rebellion and wickedness and three times states “Therefore God gave them over (gave them up)” to their desires. According to Paul, God has removed His hand of protection
in charge. After His resurrection and just before He ascended to the Father’s right hand, Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18) Paul came to understand this as well. “…he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” (Ephesians 1:20-21) “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)
We have a security system at our house. I know it works because we’ve accidentally tripped the alarm on more than one occasion. But there is also a code we can punch in at the control box which, we’ve been told, would immediately bring emergency assistance without setting off the alarm. But how do we really know? Sometimes I would like to punch in the code just to see if anyone comes quickly. But unless I want to get into deep trouble, I need to trust and believe.
will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” To ‘dwell’ is to trust God – to put all your weight on Him. Think of climbing a rock wall. Once you put your weight in the harness and trust the person holding the rope, you feel safer and therefore can climb easier and higher.