Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Reflections | Sunday, 1st September 2013

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Taken from Mumbai Christian Diary: http://mumbaichristiandiary.blogspot.in/2011/08/blood-of-jesus-ii.html

To understand the blood of Jesus, we need to understand the ancient system of worship in the tabernacle. I spoke about it a little in the earlier post on propitiation (Read | Propitiation) but we will talk about it in more detail in this post. 


The ancient system of worship was not a creation of Man, but it was all ordained by God. God gave Moses specific instruction as to how things should be. He gave Moses the exact measurement for everything in the tabernacle. God made it very clear that it should be just like he says. (Exodus 25:40) This is because everything in the tabernacle was rich in meaning and spoke of Christ. The Old Testament ordinances spoke of New Testament realities. (Hebrews 8:5)
 
Now the tabernacle had an outer court where the people gathered. In the outer court was an altar where animal sacrifices were made. This altar spoke of Christ. It spoke of how God would sacrifice Jesus Christ on the altar of the cross once and for all for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

In the outer court, there was also a brazen laver. This stood for the daily cleansing that believers would need after they are saved. It is true that our sins were paid for, once and for all on the cross of Calvary but sins do creep in, in a believer’s life and that is when we need to be cleansed by remembering the completed work of Christ.

Then there was the inner court. In the inner court was the seven-branched lamp stand. This lamp stand stood for Christ, who would be the light of the world. (John 8:12)
In the inner court there was also the table of shewbread, which stood for Jesus, who would be the bread of Life. (John 6:35)
And then, there was the golden altar of incense, where fragrant offerings were made to God continuously. This altar stood for the worship of believers. It also stood for the method of worship. Not everyone can worship God. What you do does not matter when you worship God. Yes, the bible does talk about us lifting our hands and clapping (1 Timothy 2:8) (Psalm 134:2) but there is something more important to learn here. What matters most is how you approach God to worship. Nobody can approach the altar of incense without shedding the blood of an animal at the altar in the outer court. You need to first be cleansed in your heart by the blood and then come and worship God. How can you worship God without first receiving salvation and putting your faith in Christ? 

Matthew 15:8
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Without salvation worship just becomes a ritual where we honor God with out mouths but our hearts are far from him. 

You need to first put your faith in the blood and then come and worship God with a pure heart. That is what makes a church so special. In a true church your race, community, country; all these things will not matter. What matters is that all have come through the altar, by putting their faith in the blood. (1 Peter 1:18-19) (Romans 3:25)

A thick veil separated the inner court from the holy of holies. The Holy of holies was the place where, God dwelled. There were no windows here because God is light and his presence would light up the place. 

This thick veil, the bible says was torn in two from top to bottom when Jesus Christ died on the cross. (Matthew 27:51). The veil represented the body of Christ that was broken for us to make a way for us to approach God boldly. 

Hebrews 10:19-21

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 an high priest over the house of God;

Finally in the holy of holies was the Ark of the Covenant. Now in the Ark of the Covenant were the 10 commandments.

Imagine this for a moment. If a Man entered the holy of holies, the 10 commandments in the ark would accuse him immediately. The 10 commandments make every man guilty before God and speak judgment against all men and women. (Romans 3:19-20) (James 2:10). Above the tabernacle was the pillar of fire. The pillar of fire gave light and warmth in the night to the Israelites (Exodus 40:38) but it was also a pillar of God’s wrath and judgment. (Numbers 11:1) (Psalm 106:18) (Leviticus 16:2). So, if a man entered the holy of holies, and the 10 commandments accused him, the wrath of God would fall upon him and consume him immediately. (Psalm 50:3) (Psalm 106:18).

But God who is rich in mercy put a lid on the Ark of the Covenant and called it the mercy seat (the place where mercy sits). (Exodus 26:34). Therefore, a priest could now enter the holy of holies, and the 10 commandments would be covered and therefore not accuse him. The priest could then sprinkle the blood of an animal on the mercy seat to make atonement for his sins and the sin of the community. (Hebrews 9:7) (Leviticus 16:1-34) This spoke of Christ and how he would enter the presence of God in heaven with his blood and sprinkle it as evidence that the sins of the whole world have been paid for. (Hebrews 9:12) (Hebrews 10:10) (Hebrews 10:14)

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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Reflections | Sunday, 25th August 2013












Luke 13:24

Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Note 2 at Lu 13:24: The Greek word used for "strive" in this verse is "AGONIZOMAI." It means "to struggle, literally (to compete for a prize), figuratively (to contend with an adversary), or genitive case (to endeavor to accomplish something)" (Strong's Concordance). It definitely implies that effort is involved in obtaining salvation. True salvation is not just mental assent but a real heartfelt commitment.

The effort implied here is not for the purpose of earning salvation; that is a free gift (Ro 5:15), but we do have to fight the good fight of faith (1Ti 6:12). Faith in Jesus' goodness is what saves us--not our own goodness--and Satan is constantly trying to destroy our faith. We have to earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 3).

Note 3 at Lu 13:24: Jesus said that many will seek to enter salvation and will not be able to. There are many reasons for this, but none of those reasons are because God refused salvation to anyone. "The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men" (Tit 2:11), and God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2Pe 3:9).

As Jesus went on to explain in Lu 13:25, some will not really seek salvation until it is too late. Others "have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Ro 10:2-3). Others may give lip service, but they do not believe from their hearts (Lu 6:46 and Ro 10:10).

We can rest assured that all those who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled (Mt 5:6). "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Ro 10:13).

Luke 13:26

Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.

Note 4 at Lu 13:26: These people were claiming salvation by association. They didn't cite any commitment or faith on their part as reason why the Lord should accept them. They mistakenly thought they would be saved because they had been in the presence of the Lord.

Likewise, many people today think that going to church and associating with Christians will provide them with salvation. Some people think they are Christians because their parents were. But salvation is having a personal relationship with the Lord. People cannot inherit salvation through the natural birth. "Ye must be born again" (Joh 3:7, see note 2 at Joh 3:3).

Luke 13:28

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you [yourselves] thrust out.

Note 5 at Lu 13:28: This passage is speaking of judgment and applies to all who reject God's salvation through Jesus. However, in context, the specific application was to these Jews and the Jewish nation. Jesus was saying that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets would be in the kingdom of God, but these Jews wouldn't. They thought they would be saved because they were Jews. They were trusting in their genealogy and not in a Savior. They thought they would obtain salvation by natural birth and were ignorant of the new birth (see note 2 at Joh 3:3).

Lu 13:29 goes on to speak of people coming from the east, the west, the north, and the south and entering into the kingdom of God. This is a reference to the Gentiles being granted admission into the kingdom of God (see note 2 at Lu 2:32 and note 45 at Mt 6:32), and it infuriated these Jews. As explained in note 4 at Lu 13:26, they believed they would be saved by association with God as His chosen people, and they couldn't accept that anyone who wasn't a Jew could make it.

The statement in Lu 13:30 about the last being first is also in reference to the Gentiles and Jews. The Jewish nation was first in the sense that they were given the covenants and the greater opportunity to know God. But they would become the last in the sense that they rejected Jesus as their Messiah; salvation would be taken from them and given to the Gentiles (Ro 11:11).




Sunday, August 18, 2013

Reflections | Sunday, 18th August 2013

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Taken from http://www.christadelphianbooks.org/agora/comm/19_psa/psaa41.html

Psa 40:2

HE LIFTED ME OUT: "Whatever kind of a pit, and whether figurative or literal, matters little. What is certain is that this 'horrible pit and miry clay' suggests the experience was something extremely depressing. His particular pit might have been a mental depression brought on by grief, physical weakness, loneliness, or any of the evils which afflict mankind. To find oneself in such a pit is a fearful experience, and even the righteous can be trapped. They may be perfectly aware of the future joys of the Kingdom of God to which their footsteps are bent, yet somehow they slip in. They struggle to get out like a spider in a sink, only to fall back. Then the worrying starts. They become mournful and introspective, or fall to brooding on the contrasting fortunes of others more favourably placed. But what did David do? He waited patiently for the Lord. And he must have prayed, for he says that God inclined unto him and heard his cry. He was wise enough to know that he could not scramble out of that pit on his own. He had to wait and pray".

OUT OF THE SLIMY PIT: Cp Psa 69:2,14 -- another psalm of the Messiah. Note Mat 27:10: The "potter's field" was a place of clay. Jeremiah's confinement to a miry pit (Jer 38:6-13) was also a type of Messiah's experience.

OUT OF THE MUD AND MIRE: RV margin: "a pit of tumult", suggesting death from a hostile mob? See usage of the same word in Psa 65:7; 74:23; Isa 13:4; 17:12,13.

ROCK: "Sela", the "fortress" (Psa 18:2).

"And what a triumphal emergence was his, for God brought him up! His feet were set, not upon the crumbling edge, but on a rock. His 'goings' were established; in other words, a set way of progress was secured for him, and, moreover, a 'new song' was put in his mouth. This song, one of praise to God, was undoubtedly the seal of a perfectly restored and happy state of mind. David knew that this complete restoration would provide an example and stimulus to others in similar affliction".

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Friday, August 9, 2013

Reflections | Sunday, 11th August 2013


And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom [his] lord shall make ruler over his household, to give [them their] portion of meat in due season? (Luke 12:42)

Peter had asked Jesus if this parable was limited to the twelve disciples (leadership) or if it was intended for everyone (Lu 12:41). In this verse, Jesus answered Peter's question with a question continuing on through Lu 12:48. In Lu 12:47-48 He stated that all people are going to be held accountable according to their knowledge (see note 5 at Lu 12:48). This same account recorded in Mr 13:33-37 actually answers the question in an unmistakable way: "And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch" (Mr 13:37).

Stewards are people who have been entrusted with administering other people's wealth or affairs. The possessions stewards control are not their own, and they do not have the freedom to do with them whatever they wish. They are supposed to carry out the desires of those who made them their stewards.

Bankers are stewards. They have been entrusted with other people's money. They are free to invest that money wisely in ways that will benefit their depositors and stockholders but would be sent to jail if they took all that money and simply consumed it upon themselves. Stewards are accountable (Luke 16:2) to other people for the use of their money. The money does not belong to them even though it is in their possession.

This parable and other scriptures (1Co 4:1, Tit 1:7, and 1Pe 4:10) state that all of us as believers are stewards of God's grace. The wealth, talents, and abilities we possess, as well as the revelation of God's love that we have, are not our own to do with as we please. We have received these things from God and are therefore accountable to Him for the use or misuse of these gifts. Keeping this in mind is essential for fulfilling our obligation to God as stewards of His "manifold grace" (1Pe 4:10).


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