Coffee With The Lord

NOT MANY THINGS ARE “ONCE-FOR-ALL”!! Most things require maintenance, oversight, care, and repairs. I think of my lawn (by week’s end it’ll need mowing), our cars (time for an oil change is around the corner), students (have those never-ending assignments), this body of mine (after a good meal, I feel like I could fast for a week…but a few hours later my stomach is growling and if I don’t exercise… well the results aren’t positive)… the list could go on. All that to say, not many things are “once-for-all”

When something is “once-for-all” it is decisive, conclusive, final, convincing, definitive, finished, done, completed … or as my father used to say, “that settles it, period”!

Read about a “once for all” in the Bible this morning that ought to cause us to rejoice!! The book of Hebrews tells us…

“For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priests here on earth who enter the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, ONCE FOR ALL TIME, HE HAS APPEARED AT THE END OF THE AGE TO REMOVE SIN BY HIS OWN DEATH AS A SACRIFICE. And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also CHRIST DIED ONCE FOR ALL TIME AS A SACRIFICE TO TAKE AWAY THE SINS OF MANY PEOPLE. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:24-28 New Living Translation)

This morning in my Bible reading I was reminded why I am so grateful for what Jesus accomplished for me (and you) when He died for our sin on the cross!

Under the old system, described in the Old Testament, a human high priest, burdened with the same sin we all bear, was required to offer sacrifice for sin. A single sacrifice for sin was not adequate – many sacrifices were required and had to offered repeatedly. The only authorized place for sacrifice was a sacred place – the tabernacle or temple. Sacrifice had to be provided at the sinners own expense… I could go on…

LISTEN TO (READ) THESE WORDS FROM HEBREWS AND BE GRATEFUL!!

“Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever!

“Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the Living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered Himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins… for without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.“

(From Hebrews 9:11–22 New Living Translation)

We gravitate to those who tell us what we want to hear.

However, the majority opinion is not always right!

In 1 Kings 22:1-28 Ahab, king of Israel, wanted Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to join him in a military incursion against Syria. Jehoshaphat wisely urged Ahab to seek God’s direction before any attack. Prophets, many of them who would tell Ahab what he wanted to hear, prophesied military engagement and victory! Jehoshaphat felt uneasy… He asked if there was any other prophet that could be consulted. Ahab indicated there was – Micaiah. But Ahab disliked him because “He never prophesies good concerning me, but only evil!” In fact, the messenger who went to get Micaiah advised him to prophecy in keeping with what the other prophets were saying.

I love Micaiah’s response, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.” (vs. 14).

The Lord give us more prophets like that – prophets with integrity! And as for me, a spokesman for the Lord, may I only proclaim what He directs me to say… with integrity!