Pressing Through the Veil

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In the Tabernacle of the Congregation, which Moses constructed according to God's instruction, there was a veil between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. Placed directly in front of that veil was the Altar of Incense. This veil and altar are symbolic of the the third death and resurrection God's victorious saints must experience to become fully developed into the image of Jesus Christ and be in union and at rest with God the Father.

(11/13/2005) Our Assistant Pastor, Stan Josephsen, spoke to us about interpreting the intense trials and suffering we are currently experiencing as evidence that God is beckoning us to press forward into His fullness.

Stan shared the difficulties he faces in his employment as a supervisor in the drywall industry. He is in a position where he is in the middle between the builders seeking to construct as many homes as possible before the end of the year and the homeowners who expect to receive a new house that is nearly perfect. The pace that the builders set almost guarantees that the workmanship by the various construction trades will not provide the kind of quality that each new homeowner reasonably expects. It is Stan's job to manage a group of men who do their best to settle the differences between the homeowners expectations and what the construction industry has provided given its frantic end of the year production.

The pressure and frustration of dealing with people in such a situation provides us all with two choices. We can become upset, attempt to defend ourselves or to blame others lack of professionalism. Or, we can go to the Lord and ask Him for the grace to meet each need as it comes from the ability and strength the new creation within us can provide.

When we choose the first course of action above we may find temporary relief but we have kept our Adamic nature alive and missed an opportunity for growth in the Kingdom of God. Choosing the second option places on the path to coming closer into union with God.

Each day God designs opportunities and situations, using people and things to bring us to this point of decision of keeping our own will and way active or choosing to allow God to bring us through in the manner He knows is best for us to mature in Christ. Each time we die to our own will and choose God's will instead we enter more fully into the image of Jesus Christ.

One of the outcomes of coming into the image of Christ is that we are transformed into people that can help those around us through their own particular difficulties. Instead of offering them religion God enables us to offer them eternal life coming forth from Christ in us.

Stan encouraged us to cooperate with God in these difficult situations so that we might become a drink offering in His hand poured out before His Presence so that others who follow us might have a clear path to follow on their own individual journey to find God's will for their lives