Leviticus 16:1-5, Matthew 27:50-52
Message No. 0543 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca
I was in High School when I first saw a running television set. Having heard some not-totally-true stories of what a TV was and how it worked from some of my school mates, we set out, at night, to go see it. Only the rich, of course, had TVs in those days, so we went somewhere, where we could see the 14-inch black and white TV, through a tiny opening in the window that was not covered by window blinds. If I told this story to my children today, they would laugh at our generation, because, not only has television moved away from black and white to color, it comes in various sizes and shows in glaring 4K today, and possession of a TV is, in this age, completely taken for granted.
I recently reminded my wife of a time, before our marriage, when, if we wanted to make a phone call, we went to someone who worked in the telecoms parastatal and who was senior enough to have a phone line at home. As privileged people, they had access to what they called ‘free line’ which they used to call without cost and they would help us to call, also to someone we knew who was highly placed enough to have a phone line in those days. Sometimes we would spend hours trying to get through to the line and would be told that it was not going through, or that all sockets were busy (whatever that meant), or some other reasons. Today, not only do our children laugh unbelievably at how we coped in those days, they cannot imagine a life without their smartphones.
Recently I saw one of those viral stories about the, so-called, Spanish flu of 1918, and the writer wondering how strong that generation was as they survived months of lockdown with only transistor radios in their homes and newspapers, if they were lucky to grab a copy. Today, with all of the wealth of channels available to us, radios, televisions, Netflix, smartphones, computers, internet, social media, name it, we still complain like spoiled children, while many completely ignore the stay-at-home orders and complain of boredom and depression. Aren’t we just a generation that takes everything for granted?
Well, let’s bring this closer home; how about us, Christians, don’t we take things for granted also? In Leviticus 16, verses 2 and 3, the Bible says:
The Lord said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die. For I will appear in the cloud over the atonement cover. “This is how Aaron is to enter the Most Holy Place: He must first bring a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.
Aaron was the High Priest of Israel, ordained to make intercession for God’s people, but he was clearly warned by God to not come into His presence anytime he chose to. Why? Because God is holy and man is sinful, and appearance before God without atonement could lead to instant death! This rule continued until Christ died, once for all, for our sins, thereby making the one and only continuously accepted atonement for our sins. As a symbol of this, the Bible, in Matthew 27:50-51 says:
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split
The curtain, which separated the Holy Place from the rest of the tabernacle, tore into two, signifying that God already received an atonement that would never stop running, and by so doing, everyone could now come into His presence anytime, and would not receive a death penalty. This marked the end of the old covenant and the beginning of the new, and, amazing as this freedom is, do we not all take it for granted? Do we even consider, each time we approach God, the reason why this is possible and why it is so easy? Today, we have people come into God’s presence, gum in mouth, preparation-free, position-neutral, and some don’t even ‘greet’ God before jumping into questions and requests. Isn’t this true?
There is nothing that has ever, or will ever, compare to the freedom that God gives us through the death and sacrifice of Christ. Nothing. We need to always remember what the alternative could have been, and to thank God for sending His Son to die for us. There is no greater gift that we could ever receive. Today, and as long as we live, please keep this in mind and always thank our Savior for this invaluable gift of freedom.
And, as wonderful as this gift is, if you are yet to surrender your life to Christ, please know that you are missing out, because, only those who accept the gift can appropriate it for their salvation and freedom. Wouldn’t you rather give your life to Him today? As you probably have heard many times in the past, tomorrow may be too late, because only God knows what will happen tomorrow. Please yield your life without further delays and God will grant you this wonderful gift. May you receive God’s deliverance and blessings, as you act today. Amen. Have a wonderful week!
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PLEASE ACT NOW:
If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!
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