Touching Heaven Selected Scripture

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,” Ephesians 3:20

“The Lord is able to give you much more than this.” 2 Chronicles 25:9b

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:11

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:13

“For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Romans 5:10

I.Exploring God’s Purpose

God wants you to become more like Christ

I.Exploring God’s Purpose God wants you to become more like Christ “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;” Ephesians 4:13

I.Exploring God’s Purpose “…we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ –” Ephesians 4:14-15

I.Exploring God’s Purpose God wants you to become more like Christ “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:29

I.Exploring God’s Purpose God wants to see more spiritual formation take place in you

I.Exploring God’s Purpose God wants to see more spiritual formation take place in you “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,” Galatians 4:19

I.Exploring God’s Purpose “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,” Colossians 3:8-10

I.Exploring God’s Purpose God wants you to become more holy

I.Exploring God’s Purpose God wants you to become more holy “For this is the will of God, your sanctification…” 1 Thessalonians 4:3a

I.Exploring God’s Purpose God wants you to become more holy “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:15-16

I.Exploring God’s Purpose God wants you to become more fruitful

I.Exploring God’s Purpose God wants you to become more fruitful “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such there is…” Galatians 5:22

I.Exploring God’s Purpose God wants you to become more fruitful “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” Colossians 1:10

I.Exploring God’s Purpose God wants you to become more fruitful “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

I.Exploring God’s Purpose God wants you to become more fruitful “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” John 15:8

II.Examining Two of God’s Prophets

“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours...” James 5:17a

II.Examining Two of God’s Prophets “and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.” James 5:17b

II.Examining Two of God’s Prophets “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly...” James 5:16-17a

III.Expressing God’s Power

“And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” Exodus 17:15-16

III.Expressing God’s Power “Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with”

III.Expressing God’s Power “fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.’ So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, “Here I am.”

III.Expressing God’s Power “Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Exodus 3:1-5

III.Expressing God’s Power “Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. ‘Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore,”

III.Expressing God’s Power “and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’ So He said, ‘I will certainly be with you.’” Exodus 3:9-12a

III.Expressing God’s Power “Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.”

III.Expressing God’s Power “Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.” Exodus 19:18-20

III.Expressing God’s Power “Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.” Exodus 32:10

III.Expressing God’s Power “Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: “Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains,”

III.Expressing God’s Power “and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people.” Exodus 32:11-12

III.Expressing God’s Power “Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin – but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” Exodus 32:31-32

III.Expressing God’s Power “Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” Exodus 33:15-16

III.Expressing God’s Power “So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” Exodus 33:17

IV.Experiencing God’s Presence

“And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” Exodus 33:8

IV.Experiencing God’s Presence “And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” Exodus 33:8 “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” Exodus 33:11a

IV.Experiencing God’s Presence “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” Numbers 12:6-8