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Written by Deanna Brooks, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas 
When we read through Scriptures, we see God has pursued a relationship with man from the beginning. He walked with Adam and Eve; He called Abraham to follow Him; Moses was chosen by God to lead the Hebrews from Egypt and become His people in the Land of Promise.
The Old Covenant was given through Moses; the New Covenant came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).
Under the Old Covenant they had:
- A set of laws written in stone where God outlines acceptable behavior and sinful behavior.
- An earthly high priest through the line of Aaron, who had to offer a sacrifice for his own sin first (Heb. 5:1-4) … and these sacrifices were repeated over and over with communication through priests and prophets.
- Rituals of purity and cleansing; sacrifices were offered for illness, childbirth, and sin. There were times of required fasting. The Sabbath was to be holy and a day of rest. Men went to Jerusalem three times a year.
- ONLY the High Priest was allowed in the Most Holy Place where the Ark of the Covenant was and where God came down to receive the sacrifice.
For centuries a curtain hid the area where the high priest entered once a year to make sacrifices for sin (Lev. 16), where God came down and hovered above the mercy seat to receive the sacrifice. The people never entered into this holy area.
But one Passover when the priests were offering the sacrifice of the lambs for the sins of the people, the thick, heavy curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom. It was torn in two because another lamb was being sacrificed not too far away on the hill of Mount Calvary, and that lamb was Jesus—the perfect lamb—the perfect sacrifice which was being offered for all men for all time. Because of this sacrifice, Jehovah God proclaimed Jesus both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).
And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. (Matt. 27:51 ESV)
This 30-foot-tall curtain was ripped from top to bottom, as though the hands of God reached down and tore it open, inviting you and me to have direct access to Him. Because the curtain was torn, we have direct access to the Throne of Heaven!
Because of that perfect sacrifice, our purification is through the blood of Jesus Christ which cleanses us as we are baptized into Him. Jesus' sacrifice was one time for all men. Our baptism is a one-time event that washes us clean. Our life of faithfulness and confession keeps us clean.
Under the New Covenant we have:
- Laws written on the heart (Heb. 10:16).
- A sinless Heavenly Priest (Heb. 9:24, 28, 10:12) who offered one sacrifice.
- The opportunity to meet with other disciples on the first day of the week to share the Lord’s Supper and worship our Heavenly Father.
- Adoption by God (Gal. 4:5). When we become followers of Jesus, the Hebrew writer says, “For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers” (Heb. 2:11).
- Jesus Christ, our Messiah as our sacrifice … not a bull or goat, as we read in Hebrews 10:10-12.
…we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.
In verses 19-23, Hebrews 10 goes on to say that because Jesus is our sacrifice, one sacrifice for all of us, we have access to our Heavenly Father through Him.
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
In 1742, Charles Wesley wrote a hymn that contains these words: “With confidence I now draw nigh and ‘Father, Abba Father’ cry!” Those who lived before us under the Old Covenant could not have sung those words.
So, the important question for us is: Do we take advantage of our access to the Throne of Heaven as children and heirs of the Heavenly King?
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Written by Brenda Brizendine, Volunteer Coordinator for Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Colorado 
Have you ever felt like you were carrying the entire weight of planet Earth on your shoulders? Or have you felt a very deep sadness? But what makes these feelings even more troubling is that you don't have any idea why.
I remember very well one particular day when I felt this way. I can't describe how real that weight felt. All I wanted to do was cry. I was so overwhelmed by this feeling that I couldn't concentrate on anything.
I wanted to pray and ask God to help me with that weight, but I couldn't complete even a single sentence in prayer, and I didn't know how to ask or what to ask for. But I remember that God directed me to ask for support in prayer from my group of sisters, prayer warriors, who had accompanied me for a long time on my Christian walk.
It was when I shared my request with them, and we agreed to pray for mercy and for God to take away this overwhelming burden, I was released. Through that unity in prayer, even from miles away, the battle was fought for me, and God freed me from the burden that I was carrying.
To this day, I can't find a reason for those feelings, but I am very aware of what I felt when that load was being lifted from my shoulders and my heart was being filled with peace and joy as I read the words of prayer that the sisters shared in our group chat.
Their faith, united in prayer with mine, made something supernatural happen. This reminds me of the passage in Matthew 18:19-20 (NIV)
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
And also, the passage found in James 5:16b, “pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
The enemy tried to defeat me because he found me alone, but when my heart was united with the hearts of my sisters, something powerful happened. The power of the unity of the family of God once again conquered evil with good, sadness with joy, tribulation with peace.
It is important that we develop that community of faith. If you've ever seen the movie "Facing the Giants," there's a scene where a group of people come together to pray for the kids at school. Things began to change. Things started to improve. Powerful things begin to happen when we come together in common agreement, and they are asked in the name of Jesus.
In his novel, This Present Darkness, Frank E. Peretti describes what he imagines our prayers together can do when we are in agreement. It is like clearing the way so that the angels can complete the mission that God has given them.
I currently meet regularly with a group of friends and sisters to pray over our children. Each week we share specific requests, and together, in single-minded agreement, we share these deep desires with the Father. We have seen many of those requests answered. And we are confident that we will continue to see the Hand of God at work in the lives of our little ones. I encourage you today to find your own prayer group, remembering that where two or more are united in the Name that is above all names, there is the power of the Holy Spirit to work miracles.
Allow me to share a prayer with you:
Eternal Father, Great, and Strong You are! I come to you through the Lord Jesus Christ, declaring what Your Word says— that where two or three are gathered together in Your name, there You are in the midst of them. At this moment I come in agreement with my sisters to cry out to You and invoke Your presence. You are Almighty God and for You nothing is impossible. I ask you to take control of our lives and those of our families, keeping us from illness, and supplying us with everything we need in a supernatural way. In the name of Jesus, Father, we humble ourselves and cry out to You for our nations and we ask You to establish Your kingdom. Shower down Your power and glory upon the world, pouring out repentance and conversion on every inhabitant of our countries. Lord, thank You for the power we experience in agreement and help us to maintain unity and keep us from division and strife. In the name of Jesus, Amen!