Drawing Closer in Praise

When Pastor Dave started our latest series “Closer”, he put on the front page of the Jan/Feb guide: “God is closer than you think.” This is one of the most important things you must think when thinking about God.

E. M. Bounds writing on prayer says, “God is everywhere, watching, superintending, overseeing, governing everything in the highest interest of man… He is not an absentee God…He did not retire into the secrets places of the universe having no regard for us… Earth’s inhabitants and its affairs are not running independently of Almighty God.” Our Lord Jesus sets this matter at rest for us when He says, “are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And not one of them shall fall to the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, you are of more valuable than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29).

We cannot have a more “closer” attention than that. When we think of closer, we think of our calendar. We can say spring is closer than it was in January. We have another calendar, a Christian one. Paul said in Romans 13:11, “it is time to wake out of sleep for our salvation is nearer, (closer) than when we first believed.” We think we have salvation now because we believe, and we do. We have all the benefits of Jesus’ death on the cross now. But these benefits are not all fully realized.

Hebrews 9:28 reads, “so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, not to deal with our sin but to bring us to full salvation.” This full salvation includes seeing our Lord Jesus, this is closer now than it was yesterday. But what does it mean to be where our Lord Jesus is? Take a look at the last book, Revelation 5 and read of the praise that builds, and builds, and builds with the number of singers that cannot be counted, praising Him who was crucified to give us our salvation.

Peter says to us concerning our Lord Jesus, “Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” – 1 Peter 1:8

It is getting closer, and as we wait, let us join those on earth and in heaven and draw closer with more and more praise.Check out this great teaching series by Pastor Dave at here.