Hebrews 10:19-22, James 4: 8

Paul Critchley

For this first Life File I was keen to look at the journey of intimacy with God; coming to a place of engaging with Him and what a difference this makes to our ability to walk well and flourish.

Back in 1997, when I started taking steps out of my employment and into what was to be God's unmistakable call on my life, I knew that if I was to fulfill what He was asking of me, I'd need Him more than ever. I wasn't sure at that point in my life that I had faith enough to do what He was asking. The practicalities of living seemed a big deal to me and whilst I somehow knew He was bigger, the stepping out of my comfort zone still demanded an awful lot of letting go. The more I 'let go' the more it seemed that God was willing to take me on, open amazing doors of opportunity and providing for my family in amazing ways I could never have dreamt of.

The deepening of my awareness regarding the critical nature of intimacy with God took a huge step up just prior to making my first recording. I'd known from the moment I became a Christian that He had given me music for a reason and that it was for Him. It wasn't until later years that I knew I was to be an 'usher'. Someone called to bring others into His presence. Late one night I had a very clear revelation God was physically aching because His created ones, the ones He called 'special' - that's you and me - weren't spending quality time with Him and He called me again to do something about it. He called me to make an invitation in music to enter the throne room of God, to come into the place that Jesus had made freely available for us. Here's the truth found in Hebrews 10:19-22:

'Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.'

In the months that followed God gave me all sorts of insights into the significance of 'throne room time' and during a seminar question time I had one of those areas challenged. I had someone in the meeting stand up and declare 'why do we need to come to the throne room of God when He's everywhere?' Slightly stunned at the force of the point, I gladly accepted the fact but also was able to share this belief: Just because God is everywhere, it doesn't mean we spend any time with Him. It's the same challenge we meet in our human relations. We make time, we choose to meet, we have conversation and sometimes we just even take time to 'be' together. It's my belief that He's looking for those will make the journey to be with Him.

It still amazes me that in spite of God's welcome through Jesus, some of us still hesitate to come into that place. A place I believe of divine exchange. It's not only the place where we come and pour out our worship. It's also the place where He wants to pour out who He is over us.

In a very clear picture God showed me that there is often resistance to 'coming in' because although the curtain into the meeting place was torn on Jesus' death, the curtain was still hanging and for some was still perceived to be a barrier.

God has since shown me two things specifically which I believe are meant to be an encouragement to us. The first was a picture of him holding back the curtain with one hand and beckoning us in with the other. The second was the image of a changing room. I was talking with a friend about the whole subject and joking that it was like a changing room scenario with people being afraid to open the curtain for fear of seeing someone get changed. Then it dawned on me. It is absolutely a changing room, a place of transformation, equipping and readiness to carry out whatever it is God is calling us to. I believe that this is why sometimes we hold back. We know that when we meet in that intimate place we will never be the same. We will be changed. Sometimes it's not a comfortable thing but this is the place that holds all we need for service, for living and the fantastic place where we connect our worship to Him who is worthy with the personal call on our lives to follow Him. God's promise is this in James 4: 8: 'Draw near to God and He will draw near to You'.

All of this is so much a journey and a development of the understanding of relationship with Jesus. It is a releasing of the purpose of God to be a people who carry His name out of a place of spending time with Him. As we find ourselves engaged in life, let's not deny ourselves the privilege of encounter with our God. Let's live in the assurance of His love and intimacy which both draws us and equips us.