Mission Faithwalk

          The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason, it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins . (Hebrews 10:1-4)             We’ve talked about the priests and the temple being only shadows of things to come. Now the author of Hebrews tells us that even the Law was just a shadow, Shadows tell us that there is something substantial attached, something real. Have you seen the picture of the the camels in the desert taken from a plane? At their feet are tiny bright patches....

          It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away wi3’0th sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him (Hebrews 9:23-2...

          In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it,   because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.   He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”   In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies.   In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:16 -22)             I’ve seen memes that talk about apologi...

          But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation.   He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.   How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!             For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to se...

         “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.   But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.   Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Luke 12:4-7)             House Sparrows are a common sight at my birdfeeder, so much so, that I tend to resent them just a little, and have half-affectionately dubbed them “Flying Pigs.” I keep putting food out, reminding myself that they’re just as deserving as the birds I want to come to the feeder, and they can’t help it if they have such high metabolisms.            Back when this passage w...

          Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary.   A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place,   which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.           When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry.   But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for ...

          For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us. (Isaiah 33:22)             When the Founding Fathers sought a model on which to base the revolutionary, new government of the United States, I’m told that they looked to Old Testament Scripture. This may not be a verse they used but it could well have been. And since they recognized that man is inherently sinful and prone to evil, they set up their three branches of government to have the ability to check and balance the others.           Unfortunately, if you reject God as the true judge, lawgiver or king, what naturally usurps that role is the government. That’s not to say that the government doesn’t have the responsibility to provide leadership in these three areas. As I noted, that is precisely what the Founding Fathers designed....