Psalm 45:1 "My heart is overflowing with a good theme. I recite my composition concerning the King. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer." God put it on my heart to write a book about Intimacy with Him. This came at a time when I was just diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. I recently was told that I have less than a year to live. It has been a very daunting task to see this book to completion in midst of the sickness. However, I have pressed on because I believe that the mission of this book is important. Famous mathematician Pascal claimed that every person is born with a God shaped hole. In a sense of emptiness and even desperation people will clench on to anything from food to bad relationships-but only when they respond to the beckoning call of God, are they able to quench the desire to fill complete. When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, the veil separating man from God was torn, opening up the path to an intimate relationship with Christ. Living Without the Veil is a book for every person who recognizes that they have a void that can only be filled by Christ and for every person who is ready to build their own intimate relationship with the Creator. It is also about living an unveiled life of transparency and sincerity in order to make God known to those who are still need of having the void filled.
Living Without the Veil
Knowing God Intimately, and Making Him KnownBy Michael RichardsAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2009 Michael Richards
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4490-0495-8Contents
Preface...............................................................viiIntroduction..........................................................ixCHAPTER 1 THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS....................................1CHAPTER 2 ENTIRELY SINCERE............................................7CHAPTER 3 INTIMACY WITH GOD...........................................13CHAPTER 4 INTIMACY WITH GOD - THE HUNGER..............................17CHAPTER 5 INTIMACY WITH GOD - THE HUNT................................21CHAPTER 6 INTIMACY WITH GOD - THE HIDING..............................27CHAPTER 7 LIFE ON THE VINE............................................31CHAPTER 8 THE POURING POSITION........................................39CHAPTER 9 THE SECRET TO SPIRITUAL STRENGTH............................45CHAPTER 10 HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD...................................53CHAPTER 11 KNOWING GOD: THERE IS NO GREATER THING.....................61CHAPTER 12 THE SURRENDERED LIFE.......................................67EPILOGUE THERE IS A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN DWELL.........................75ABOUT THE AUTHOR......................................................77
Chapter One
THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS THE OLD CROSS VS. THE NEW CROSS
... for I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2
For I delivered to you first of that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. And He was buried, and He rose again on the third day according to the scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:3,4
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 1 Corinthians 1:18, 19
In order to begin the Christian life, one must first come to the cross of Jesus Christ. There is no other way. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). And it was His willing death on the cross that made the way.
The Apostle Paul understood the supreme importance of conveying the message of the cross first, above all else, and with unflinching accuracy. He said to the church at Corinth, "I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). This was the matter which he considered to be essential, of the utmost importance. It is at the cross where Jesus died and at the tomb where He rose again that we find salvation for our souls, the forgiveness of sin, and the ability to be made spiritually alive. This is the foundation of the Christian faith. It is no surprise, given its extreme importance, that demonic forces have sought to destroy, distort, and dilute the message of the cross.
Unannounced, and mostly undetected, a new cross message has crept into the modern evangelical church. This 'new cross' looks deceptively like the 'old cross', but the likenesses are superficial while the differences are fundamental. From this new cross, a new philosophy of Christian living has infiltrated the church, founded upon an altered evangelistic message and complete with new marketing techniques.
The new cross is non-confrontational; it is not directly opposed to the sinful condition of mankind. It is a 'friendly pal', a source of oceans of goodness, clean fun, and all the benefits of the gospel without the cost. This cross may even allow Adam to eat the fruit in disobedience, and then continue to live in the garden without interference. It doesn't require the rejection of the old life before the new life can be received. Ministers in churches today invite congregation members to "come up and receive Christ as personal Lord and Savior"- yet there is no mention of repentance, or the old way of life that must be crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20). The new cross message suggests you can be found without first recognizing that you are lost.
The new cross doesn't slay the sinner, it only redirects him. It points him to a cleaner, spiritualized way of living, while saving his self respect and serving his own ambition. The new cross message is that Christianity has what you want. It has what you are looking for. The message of the new cross puts man at the center of the gospel, instead of Christ. Any teaching is carefully slanted in the direction of the current vogue, in order to make it more attractive to the public.
The new cross is marketed to the masses by presenting a Christianity that makes no unpleasant demands, but instead offers peace and happiness. The new cross doesn't preach contrast but similarities. It falsely draws parallels between the ways of God and the ways of men. However, this is an affront to God. True faith in Christ does not parallel the world-it intersects it! To those who believe and obey the Bible, Jesus is a cornerstone that their lives can be built upon. To those who refute or dilute the Word of God, Jesus is a rock of offense, a stumbling block that they must circumvent. When they bypass the true biblical cross, they must either ignore the Word of God, or subtly misrepresent its intent and meaning.
After years of the new cross message being preached as gospel, is there any wonder why churches are filled with backslidden, carnal Christians, who have little or no fruit of the Spirit in their lives? Tragically, Satan's successful distortion and dilution of the truth of the cross has resulted in generations of people who profess to be believers, who have made "decisions" for Christ ... but who have never really been converted!
So what is the true message of the cross? The cross of Jesus Christ has never been and never will be appealing or alluring. It is the symbol of a grueling death. It is the ultimate example of suffering and self sacrifice. It represents the abrupt and violent end of human life. The old cross, the true biblical cross, makes no compromises, modifies nothing, and spares no one! The cross of Jesus Christ will never be attractive ... but it is good news!
Man is sinful, and is therefore eternally damned, having no way to save himself from the holy wrath of God. Man is in critical condition spiritually. Because of God's great love for mankind, He chose to do something drastic and express reckless, limitless love to man by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sins on a rugged, brutal cross. Our Savior stood in our place, took our punishment, died, and rose from the dead so that we might find forgiveness of sin and eternal life. That is the essence of the gospel.
Who are we to dare to tamper with or distort the message of the cross of Jesus Christ? 1 Corinthians 1:17, 18 states that the message we preach and how we preach it is crucial. Paul says that there is the potential to make the cross of Christ of no effect! God, help us to not change or tamper with the message of the cross of Christ. God, help us to teach the 'old cross,' the biblical cross message.
It was the cross of Jesus Christ that allowed the veil, the barrier between God and man, to be removed. "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh" (Hebrews 10:19,20). It is only when we live without the veil that we can know God intimately and be in His presence. There is only one way to live without the veil, and that is through the cross of Jesus Christ.
Chapter 1 Study Questions:
1. Do you see evidence of the new cross message in your life? If so, what are its implications?
2. Read 1 Corinthians 2:2.
3. Why is it so important to know Jesus and His cross?
Chapter Two
ENTIRELY SINCERE
For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity ... 2 Corinthians 1:12
I have rarely heard anyone preach or teach on the subject of sincerity. Maybe this is because sincerity is assumed; in order for our faith to flourish, it must be assumed that God is entirely sincere. It is true, God is entirely sincere ... in fact, He is sincerity personified! But how important is it that God is sincere, and how important is it for Christians to be sincere as well?
First of all, sincerity defined. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary describes it as "whole, pure, genuine; honest; free from adulteration; unfeigned; honesty of mind; freedom from hypocrisy". Sincerity requires being real, genuine, and true. It is without pretense, being truly who you appear to be. Meaning what you say, and saying what you mean. Having no guile.
If God was not entirely sincere, then we would have absolutely nothing! Our faith in Him would be completely in vain. We could not trust Him. God is the only One whose sincerity is infallible, unfaltering and unquestionable. Hebrews 13:8 assures us "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever". "There is no variation or shadow of turning" with Him (James 1:17). If someone is not sincere, you cannot really know them. Our God is entirely sincere; He wants you to know Him.
In Exodus 3, Moses saw a burning bush that was not being consumed as it burned. Moses, thinking this could be a manifestation of God, decided to seek, and drew closer. Because he decided to seek and draw closer to God, Moses experienced a revelation of God. In Exodus 3:13-14, Moses asked God, "Who should I say sent me?" God responded, "I AM WHO I AM". In other words, 'I am HE; I really am who I appear to be'.
When Jesus was on trial before the Sanhedrin, they asked Him if He was the Son of God. Jesus responded, "You rightly say that I AM" (Luke 22:69, 70).
In both of these accounts, God and Jesus are saying "I AM", or 'I AM who I appear to be'. To put it in today's terms, God is the genuine article, the real deal. He is entirely sincere. He is who He appears to be. He has no hidden agendas; He is upfront, straight forward. There is nothing hidden or false. He cannot lie. He is faithful and true.
John 1:1, 14 says "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth". Jesus personifies the Word; the Word was God and is God. As we encounter Jesus in His Word, the Bible, we need to understand that the Bible is sincere and true as well. Jesus said if we abide in the Word, we will know the truth and be set free (John 8:31, 32). Conversely, we cannot ignore or mishandle the word of God without it directly affecting our relationship with God.
These scriptures come to mind: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). "But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22). How we approach, receive and apply the Word of God matters. How we live our lives matters. We cannot and will not be sincere Christians if we don't endeavor to be doers of the Word of God.
The two greatest commandments say: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind," AND "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37, 39). It is important to not only understand and obey these commands, but also to understand how these two commandments are interconnected. How we apply one to our lives directly impacts our ability to live out the other. If we are not willing to demonstrate real and transparent love to our fellow man, then we shouldn't expect a healthy, intimate relationship with God. Jesus asks us to love one another as He loved, adding "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34, 35). If we want to be considered His disciples, we need to love as He loves: without guile, without pretense, without thought for personal gain or to win the approval of others. Loving our neighbor requires being sincere.
It has been said that many people are like the moon ... they only show you their good side! I have encountered and ministered to so many people who try to hide who they really are. But if we are going to live without the veil, pursuing greater intimacy with God, we are going to have to be a truthful, real, and sincere people. Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:12, "For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity...." Simplicity means non-duplicity, or not showing two different faces. Is that the testimony of your conscience, that you have conducted yourself with godly sincerity, and have not been 'two-faced' in this world?
Is there a part of your life that you have kept hidden from others? Could that be the very thing that is keeping you from experiencing more of God?
Do you lie? There is no such thing as 'little white lies'. Lying is lying. You cannot lie and be sincere. If you want to know God and have Him be able to reveal Himself, then you must pursue sincerity and remove guile from your life.
In John 1:45-51 we see this illustrated with Jesus and Nathaniel. It didn't take long at all for Nathaniel to get a personal revelation of who Jesus was, because Nathaniel was a person with an exceptional lack of guile. He was a sincere man.
If we are going to know God intimately, if we are going to make God known to the world, then we must live without masks, without pretense. We have to stop hiding who we really are, and take the veil off. We do not need to hide like Adam and Eve did after they sinned. We have a covering, the blood of Jesus. We all have sinned. Christ died for us all. When we put our faith in Him to save us, we are now covered with His righteousness, and therefore, we are no longer vulnerable. Colossians 3 tells us that we are now protected, or hidden, with Christ in God. We are covered by His blood, which has removed our shame. There is no need to hide, or veil, who we really are. In Christ there is no sin too heinous, no shame too great, and no flaw so appalling that His love cannot embrace us and cover us. If we receive that love, live in His grace, and learn to see ourselves as He sees us, the opinions of others will no longer define us, and we will be free to be real ... flaws and all.
When He walked the earth, Jesus chose to fellowship with sinners, with those who were broken, rejected, and very much aware of their own sin and imperfections. He had little tolerance for those who were more concerned with their image than the condition of their heart (see Matthew 23). Jesus made His mission on earth very clear:
"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed." Luke 4:18
He was not here to preserve appearances; He came to bring transformation! But according to 2 Corinthians 3:16-18, in order to experience that transformation, we must first turn to Him to have the veil taken away, and then, with an unveiled face, we will behold His glory and be transformed into His image.
The Church was never intended to be a museum of smartly dressed, perfectly pressed saints who carefully conceal their struggles and sins to present a glossy varnish of perfection to those around them. The Church is meant to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, loving as He loves. It should be more like a hospital, a safe haven for a lost and dying world to come as they are and receive healing, grace and redemption. And it begins with each of us choosing to live an unveiled life, in order to truly know and be known by others and by God Himself.
Chapter 2 Study questions:
1. Give examples of how you have conducted yourself with sincerity.
2. Do people know the 'real you'? Why, or why not?
3. Do you show everyone the same 'you', or do different people see a different 'you'?
4. Do you ever lie? If yes, what does it say about your level of sincerity? If you do lie, how do you make it right?
Chapter Three
INTIMACY WITH GOD
My beloved spoke, and said to me: "Rise up, My love, My fair one and come away ..." Song of Songs 2:10
Engaging in an intimate relationship with man is the very heartbeat of God. It is at the top of His agenda; it was His reason for and purpose in creating mankind. It is also the greatest need in the Church; the lack of intimacy with God is the main reason the Church is deficient in power and lacks fruitfulness. Throughout scripture, God has chased man, and longed for relationship with him. In His Word we are repeatedly told to seek Him; this message is communicated in various ways throughout scripture. We are commanded, called, beckoned, sung to, and even cried to by the God of the universe! God has gone out of His way to call the beloved to Himself. In John 15:5, He calls us to abide in Him, and Him in us. If we will abide in Him, and Him in us, we will bear much fruit. He also said that if we will not abide in Him we will not bear fruit, because without Him we can do nothing.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Living Without the Veilby Michael Richards Copyright © 2009 by Michael Richards. Excerpted by permission.
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