Don’t Look Inside the Ark !

1 John 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world."

In the movie, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, the people who tried to look inside the ark were struck dead. What was inside the ark that brought judgment to those who looked into it?

The Bible tells us that the ark held the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, the pot of manna and Aaron’s rod. (Hebrews 9:4) These items were tokens of man’s rebellion. The two tablets of the Ten Commandments represented man’s rejection of God’s standards. The manna represented man’s rejection of God’s provision, and Aaron’s rod, man’s rejection of God’s appointed priesthood.

God did not want to look at these tokens of rebellion. He wanted to be merciful to His people, so He instructed them to place the items in the ark and to cover the ark with its mercy seat, which is also the place where the blood of the animal sacrifices was sprinkled.

Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies to sprinkle on the mercy seat the blood of the animal that had been sacrificed. The two cherubim on the mercy seat stood as guardians of God’s righteousness and holiness.

Representing God’s eyes too, they looked at the blood on the mercy seat. As long as the blood was there, the entire nation of Israel was forgiven. God’s judgment passed over them and they were blessed for another year. (Leviticus 16)

Today, the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat is not the blood of bulls and goats, but the precious, eternal blood of the Son of God! (Hebrews 9:12) Jesus is our “mercy seat” for “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world”. The word “propitiation” in the original Greek text is the same word as “mercy seat”. (Romans 3:25, Hebrews 9:5)

Beloved, God does not see your sins and count them against you because He sees His Son’s blood. He sees His Son’s perfect work that has more than satisfied Him. God does not want you to see your sins either. He does not want you to look inside the ark by focusing on your sins. He wants you to focus on Christ and His finished work!

Don’t focus on your sins. Focus on Christ and His finished work.

Joseph Prince

Let God roll away your reproach today

"You will not possess your inheritance in this life unless you let God roll away your reproach. Prophetic word to the church today - you won't enter into your personal dream - your personal inheritance - personal promised land unless we let God come in power and anointing and roll away our reproach.

A reproach means shame and blame and feeling bad about yourself. (Josh 5v9) - "I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you". The stigma of slavery. Some control by withholding approval or by over-flattery. Egypt has put a reproach on the Church! God says He will roll it off and (v12) when that happens the manna is going to stop and we will begin to eat of the promised inheritance of Canaan. Manna represents what God feeds you while you are going around in circles with the reproach on you as soon as that is off - you will start eating of your inheritance!"

Rob Rufus

Choose Life !

Grace IS Glory...enter into Grace, you enter into Glory!
Want satisfaction? Choose grace!! The law kills but grace gives LIFE !!!!

Self-generated do-good doo doo...

"This focus on error of approach--of thinking we can earn God's approval by what we do--might seem like a fine distinction, but Scripture could not be more clear or strident. We cannot earn salvation, no one will have bragging rights in heaven, nor will God accept any "works" or "fruit" that come from self-generated do-good intentions.

Human religious energy is NOT something God has any interest in. In fact, since He has made provisions for us to access His very life and power, to choose to live in our own human resources is to reject His grace. His life, received by grace, will result in good works--to be sure. But how we approach God is critically important. Are we hoping in the grace and power of Christ Jesus, or are we hoping to impress God or earn His favor on our own merits? The difference is as wide as heaven and hell."

Lukewarm ?

"...when you mix cold with hot you get lukewarm. Now what are two good things in the Bible that, if you mix them together, you end up with something bad? Here’s a hint – what were the Galatians mixing together? Answer: law and grace..."