Beyond the Veil: A Self Examination and Growth Study

By Gregory Richardson

This is a personal self-examination and Christian growth study that should challenge every true believer. Reading, studying, and understanding Beyond The Veil can be a life changing experience. If you believe you are alone in your shortcomings, then I challenge you to read this study. This book will open your eyes to the reality of your life in a comparative study with some of the mighty men of God. It is written in everyday Englishplain and unassuming, just facing the reality of lifes daily struggles. This book will help you to stop hiding from your past, your fears, and your shortcomings. Beyond the Veil will bring you face to face with your shortcomings and face to face with your God. It is my hope that you will forever change like Paul on the road to Damascus.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 30, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490847993

Gregory Richardson

Gregory Richardson was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, to David and Inez Richardson and lived at home with eight siblings. While spending most of his childhood in a sharecropper’s house outside the small town of Wendell, North Carolina, he began to share his thoughts, songs, and prayers with the Lord at night on a deserted country road. This proved to be the preparation for his ministry. In January 1987, he preached his first trail sermon entitled “Putting on Love,” which he wrote in his teenage years. He was licensed by the Pentecostal Church as a minister in 1987 and ordained as an elder in the Great Lakes Diocese, Church of the Living God, in mid-1989. From 1987 to 2006, he served as pastor, co-pastor, and lay minister around the world, including Hessich Oldendorf, Germany; Crete, Greece; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Colorado Springs’ Colorado; Osan, Korea; Adana, Turkey; Shreveport, Louisiana; and San Diego, California. He has always enjoyed writing Bible studies, short stories, music, poetry, and sketching. He currently resides in the Carolinas where he works for a small buying service and is the owner/operator of a delivery service named “HaDaRa & Grace Delivers”.

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Copyright © 2015 Gregory Richardson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Thompson DD PhD, Frank Charles. Thompson Chain Reference Bible, King James Version, Fifth Improved Edition. © 1988

Schofield, C.I. The New Scofield Study Bible.

Oxford University Press, Inc., 1967.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-4797-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4798-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-4799-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014914460

WestBow Press rev. date: 03/17/2015

Contents

Preface

Scriptural Interlude

Beyond the Veil

Almighty God!

Chapter 1 Gideon: The Mighty Warrior

Stutter, Stutter, Lord. Who Am I? Moses Discourse

Chapter 2 Moses: I Am Not Able

Soul Mate

Chapter 3 Samson: In Search of My First Love

Rooftop Glances, King David’s Sin

Chapter 4 David: Lord, Direct My Desires!

Elijah: The Journey

Chapter 5 Elijah: Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Back

Woe Is Me, Isaiah’s Journey

Chapter 6 Isaiah: Open My Eyes, Lord. I Want to See Jesus

Peter’s Harangue

Chapter 7 Peter: Take My Foot Out of My Mouth

Saul/Paul, A Split Personality

Chapter 8 Paul: Thank God for Saving Grace

Ripped and Stripped

Chapter 9 The Conclusion of the Matter

Conclusion

About the Author

References

For my children, HaDaRa and Grace; Hannah Alexandria; David Gregory; Rachael CaDebra; and Grace Zipporah Richardson

Thanks to my brother Kenneth, my sisters (Meshelder, Maxine, Dianne, Shirley, Ernestine, and Vivian), my goddaughter Latoya Cox, and a host of friends who supported and encouraged me to complete this book.

Life itself is not difficult. It’s the people in it that challenge our daily peace!

Preface

As men, we have this great sense of urgency that invades our lives daily. We seek to find our true selves through various earthly avenues. Finding our predestined path seems to often elude us. We’re constantly plagued with thoughts such as What will I accomplish in this lifetime? or What mark will I leave on the world? Or it’s something as simple as What shall I be or do when I grow up? The hilarious thing about it is we are still often asking those same questions when we are seventy years old. We glance back over the whole of our meager existence. The wonderful vitality that resides in our life as youth, that spirited desire for greatness, has somehow all but diminished. The hope all too quickly turns into a mere mundane, mediocre, rural, contented existence. We see nothing of great importance in our past, and looking to the future seems all but futile. Life too often seems to be forever an endless, uphill battle.

The scriptural men of God faced great, unforeseen obstacles in their daily lives as well. Nothing could stop them from the battles they faced. No one could hold back their victory cries or the chant of a victorious Lord in their lives. Little did these men know that the holy wars, the biblical battles for literacy, the great theological debates, or the banter with the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Mighty Sanhedrin or sacerdotal of the epoch was merely the beginnings of their greatest war. These were mere daily struggles or the simple common battles of man. These daily wars were an attempt to conquer and devour one another’s flesh. These battles were waged within the aristocracy of church and state and often with little to no spiritual representation at all from either. In these battles, they were able to see, respond, conquer, and rule over their enemies. Their enemies, the mighty Goliaths of the world, were much like the same foe David faced so many years ago. The great Philistine giant challenged all of Israel and fell from the simplistic war fought by the Spirit of God in the form of a boy named David. Who would have thought it? A small stone and a slingshot against a battle-proven giant! But the war that David, the prophets (major and minor), disciples, and apostles really faced was far more menacing.

The ensuing battle is nothing like those previously fought. There is no visible foe, numbered armies, legions, spearmen, and artillery to be captured. There are no foot soldiers, centurions, horsemen, or archers. The greatest battle of all humanity begins and ends beyond the veil (within the heart of man). It is beyond the fears, doubt, and all the covering we place before the heart in our lives. It is beyond the man-made protective walls that we cling to. No one knows how the effect of this war will change his or her outlook on life forever. This battle will cause a struggle that is a raging war of flesh against spirit throughout the life of man. The war will start at the birth of man and span each lifetime, culminating in eternal death or everlasting life. No one but God can predict the individual outcome. Nobody can present a more courageous stand than the mighty men of God. Yet time after time, these men struggled and buckled under the weight of this war. Many fell by the wayside, and some would never rise again to victory. They are momentarily lost and without strength of hope. God restores them repeatedly with each failure, fall, sin, weakness, and resistant heart. God reaches beyond the veil to restore in them and us as well that which He creates and ordains in each of our lives. He reaches beyond the veil to give us His strength, power, and love out of our weakness.

Jesus Christ knows entirely too well the struggle that comes to man. He faced it all Himself and yet miraculously without sin. He knows the strength of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, is needed to guide every footstep. You see, Christ has divine insight beyond the veil. Let’s look at a few of God’s elect in the Scriptures to see what’s beyond the veil in their lives, specifically how:

• They acknowledged their inability to fix it.

• They surrendered it to God.

• They were made strong out of their weakness (resistance).

These common weaknesses make us resist the will of God in our lives. Maybe if we look at their lives, we can identify those things that hold us back, keep us down, weaken us, and make us ashamed. Maybe, just maybe, we can get a glimpse beyond the veil in our own lives.

Scriptural Interlude

I pray earnestly that this message sinks in and permeates your very being. God will come for a church without spot, blemish, or wrinkle. Almighty God looks upon the heart of man. He is the first one to look beyond the veil in each of our lives. Man has no hidden storage that God cannot access. He can unweave any secret agendas, removable backup drives, skeletons in the closet, or webs. He is the very God of God. In our darkest hour, very heart of hearts, and in our weakness, where He is made strong, we come face-to-face with God Almighty. We finally realize that He resides, lives, and dwells in that secret place in the lives of men. God dwells beyond the veil, which is our heart, where we must come face-to-face with Christ and recognize ourselves just as He sees us. We tend to tenaciously cling to our strengths, but we must also recognize and identify our weaknesses and stop running from them.

The Word of God contains everything necessary for believers to live abundantly in this life. Among ourselves, we share the wonderful things God wrought in us by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. In my own relationship with God, I find a great peace for every trial of this life. You will find your answers for this abundant life written in the Word of God as well. If you will only read and believe, you will see your life open up and blossom. You will begin to see God everywhere you turn and in day-to-day subtle things. I thank my God for the Word that gives us life through the Holy Spirit and by the blood of Jesus Christ.

I wrote Beyond the Veil from my heart. I believe God’s inspiration gave it to me as I was traveling through my life’s baca (a dry, desert, or arid region). Believe me, I recognize every weakness and resistance in my heart. I had to go meet Christ beyond the veil in every weakness and stubborn resistance of my heart. In my suffering, I was allowed the opportunity to look up and see the glory of my God move in my life. I believe with all my heart that He would have me share this Word with you.

The basis for Beyond the Veil is written in the King James Version (KJV) Scriptures below. God bless you all as you enjoy these words.

***

For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded; for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament; which veil is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: an where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3:11–18

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil. Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest, for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Hebrews 6:19–20

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having a high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Hebrews 10:19–22

Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Matthew 27:50–52

And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon. and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

Hebrews 11:32–34

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

2 Corinthian 12:9–10

Beyond the Veil

There are people everywhere who seem to know the way we live.

They know the way we walk, we see, and all the ways we give.

When we hurt, we turn to Jesus Christ.

Our hearts to Him doth tell

How we really give,

How we really live,

What lies beyond the veil!

We often walk this path alone when others run away.

We understand our future holds all God sends each day.

When we stumble, there are no friends around to lift us when we fail.

But only Jesus looks within us at what lies beyond the veil!

Beyond the veil,

My hurts,

My pains,

My lust-filled heart each day,

Takes the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost to drive my fears away.

Even when the tears of sorrow doth make my eyes swell,

I am glad to know Jesus Christ resides,

He resides beyond the veil!

So when I fail, I know I have walked through sins of my own.

When I fall, I know my Savior still resides upon the throne.

I can cry to Him.

He comes to me,

and He never leaves me alone.

Christ holds me near, wipes all my tears, and assures me all is well,

because He knows my heart’s true worth

and what lies beyond the veil!

Almighty God!

All God’s strength will crush my fears,

His power strong and pure.

And when the doubt brings me to tears,

I’ll turn to Him who’s sure

In fear and doubt

My troubled soul leaves what is understood behind.

In tormented sleepless nights, I roll.

My mind plays tricks and shivers down my spine.

Then my rescue whilst on bended knee;

With His power, I am free at last.

I seek His face.

Lord, strengthen me.

Then direction from above instructs my path.

I am free from fear and doubt and its tremendous strain.

The war I fought with on each day,

The life from me it drained,

His blood residing in me now.

New hope each day that passed.

Through Him, all things are possible,

Is my reward at last.

So when the fear and doubt stops by to visit at your door,

Just know you have the strength within to stand forever more.

Look up to God and know He’s there to help you on the way

And guide you with His awesome power each and every day

Gideonpraying.jpg

Gideon’s Prayer of Ifs!

Chapter 1

Gideon: The Mighty Warrior

Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor! Gideon said to Him, O my Lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles, which our fathers told us about saying; ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites

Judges 6:11–13

In Old Testament Scripture, the life of Gideon (tree-feller, he that cuts down) is one of great courage and strength. He stands as one of the mighty men of valor often spoken of throughout history. This seems strange, for by Gideon’s own confession, his clan is the weakest in Manassah and he is the least in his father’s house (Judg. 6:15). Yet Gideon later forges into a great tumultuous battle with a remnant of men against seemingly unbeatable odds. The Lord, strong and mighty, brings about victory in Gideon’s life as well as in the lives of the three hundred men who fight valiantly at his side.

This story brings the power of Almighty God to life. In utilizing earthen vessels on a hillside, with the light of torches, the blare of trumpets, and a victory shout that can be heard for miles echoing in the valley, they storm into battle. This picture portrays the ultimate believer’s body with the light of Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit bringing victory in his life through every battle. After all, we hold this precious gift of God in these earthen vessels. What is your body, but the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you? (1 Cor. 6:19). We praise and remember this poignant picture of Gideon. We spin tales, act out in plays, and place our hopes upon this great warrior. As each battle with unbeatable odds rages on in our lives, we pray for the same resolve as in Gideon’s battle, victory. This is the picture of a hero for the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

While this is a heartfelt rendition of a true warrior, it does not recognize Gideon’s weakness, for which he becomes totally dependent upon God. Hiding beyond the veil of Gideon’s brawny exterior lays fear and doubt. Do you have this same common weakness beyond the veil in your life? Gideon knew the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and had a tremendous relationship with Him. He worshipped Him in his childhood and walked and fellowshipped with God throughout adulthood. Yet when he stood on the threshold of the greatest victory of his life, Gideon’s initial thought was not God, strategies, or the place to get more men. Gideon’s initial reaction was fear.

Let me tell you, fear has gripped my life at times. It’s amazing how strong its hold is. On August 31, 1981, I was an airman in the United States Air Force at my first assignment at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Each morning, I rode the base shuttle bus from my dormitory on the south side of the base to my work center on the north side. Each morning, the bus would drop us off at the bus stop on the north corner of the Headquarters United States Air Forces Europe building between seven ten and about seven fifteen, if it were on time, and we would walk through the parking lot to the opposite side to our work center located behind a blast wall. This particular morning was no different, and as we walked, we commented on the car with the propane tanks in the backseat. We assumed one of the officers who worked in the headquarters building was planning a big cookout or weekend camping trip to some nearby mountain. We talked about how nice it would be to be able to afford that.

I walked into the building, picked up the clipboard, and started the inventory so the other shift could leave by seven thirty. About one minute into my task, an explosion erupted louder than anything I had ever heard in my life. The building shook, and sticks and debris flew through the doorway and edges of the small communications center window, even behind a ten-foot blast wall. As it turned out, the propane tanks we saw were bombs that a terrorist group had planted in a stolen car.

The bomb caused extensive damage to two of the three wings of the headquarters, blowing in every window on multiple floors facing the parking lot, of which 716 windows and frames plus 286 doors had to be replaced. The bomb destroyed fifty cars in the parking lot, over half of which were beyond repair. Twelve servicemen and two civilians were injured.

I cleared the building. Not knowing whether another bomb would go off before we could get out of the parking lot intensified my fear. I saw smoke, debris, and broken windows as far as a block up and cars with the hoods peeled back like sardine cans. I heard sirens going off from every direction. This must be how things looked during some of the riots in the sixties, I thought. My heart was pounding as I stepped through the debris, trying to get to an area across the street that was deemed a safe zone.

We didn’t have to go back into the work center that day, and I was glad because fear had hold of me. I returned to my dorm room on the south side of the base with my hands shaking and heart pounding even an hour later. My mind still couldn’t believe it. As I stood looking in the mirror, pulling the sticks and debris from my hair while almost in tears, reality sunk in, and fear made its home in my heart and mind. The bomb exploded at 7:21 a.m. Had our bus been five minutes late, as it often was, we would not have made it past the bomb, and some or all of us would most likely have lost our lives. We were literally within minutes of death.

For the first time in my life, fear became extremely real to me. I thought of my family, the recent letters I had written to them, and the last time I called my mother. I even wondered if I would ever make it back to our little house on Mudham Road in Wendell, North Carolina. I thought about the things I had done wrong years, months, and weeks ago, and even the night before.

Fear held onto me for months. I couldn’t sleep as I kept hearing that bomb going off, shattering my eardrums. I kept seeing the smoke, hearing the sirens, and seeing the panic on the faces around me. I felt, smelled, and tasted fear. It was cold, it stank, and it was rotten to the taste. That fear had power over me, and I allowed it to control me for years. Even now, I sometimes feel its weight and tug, trying to creep back in and pull me into the abyss.

Can you identify with this fear as you confront an enormous task or make a decision of great magnitude that affects others’ livelihoods? Those common feelings of fear plague many men today when a serious battle is raging in their lives or their perfect plans explode in their faces. As in Gideon’s life, beyond the veil of their lives is a serious foe—fear.

Fear comes into our lives like a shroud to engulf the fruit of the spirit that God has placed within us. The Lord breathed the words that Isaiah so eloquently penned in Isaiah 41:10. FEAR THOU NOT; for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I AM thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah needed reminding that he would not provide strength and victory. To not fear is the sole impulse, the innate quality that is provided to those who walk uprightly, those of the household of faith. God Almighty Himself, the Creator of the Universe, gives the quality or ability to fear not through the Holy Spirit residing within us.

Fear not or be not afraid were the first encouraging words spoken to the disciples while the contrary winds blew and they were distressed on the Sea of Galilee in (Matt 14:27).