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Hebrews 11: 4 “4By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh”. In this passage we see Abel’s offering is accepted and acknowledged by God more than Cain’s offering. Abel and Cain are the sons of Adam. In the beginning of the world, there were only two professions viz... shepherding and farming. Abel was a shepherd and righteous in everything he did. He feared the Lord walked according to His will. Abel knew that our God was a sacrificial lamb, and hence he brought his lamb offering to the Lord. We see in the above passage that Abel’s offering was more excellent that Cain’s offering and God testified Abel’s gift. John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”. John had already prophesied about Jesus Christ - being the sacrificial Lamb, it is Jesus Christ’s sacrifice that took away our sins and washed us with every drop of His blood.
Revelation 13:8 “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”. Yes, Abel knew it from the beginning of the world that our God was a sacrificial lamb and would give His life for us. Hence, he brought his lamb as sacrifice to God and God testifies this gift. Leviticus 17:14 “For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off”. We know that blood has life. Both the brothers Cain and Abel brought offering to God, but Abel’s offering had blood sacrifice for the Lord. When God testified Abel’s gift offering, jealousy creeped into Cain, he sought to kill his brother Abel.
Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”. We must present our bodies as living sacrifice for the Lord, holy and acceptable with our service to God alone. This is wisest and pure offering we can give our Lord. The ‘Word’ is alive, its pure and true. The word of God is never impure and contaminated. Thus, our works must always be righteous and pleasing in His sight, only then Lord speaks to us. Eg. Cain and Abel both brought offerings, but Abel’s offering was pure. In the end Abel himself became a blood sacrifice to the Lord (when his brother Cain killed him out of jealousy). Hebrews 12:24” And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel”. Are we like Abel - do we know that Jesus was the sacrificial Lamb? Do we know that Jesus sacrificed His life on the Cross of Calvary for you and me? Do we know that God loves us ? We have seen in yesterday’s message in Daniel - Our Lord shut the mouth of the Lions. God could in a second, shred the Lion apart, but He did not do so. He only shut the lion’s mouth. At the same time when the enemy was thrown into the same den, Lord opened the Lion’s mouth and the Lion shred the enemy into pieces. We have also seen in another eg. how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the furnace heated seven times more than normal and how Lord saved them from the fiery furnace. Not even a single hair on their head was damaged, because God sent an Angel into the furnace to save His children.
The second person we see in our holy scriptures whom Lord loved was Enoch. In Genesis 5:24, we see “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him”. God loved Enoch so much, that He lifted him up alive and Enoch did not die. Psalm 68:20 “He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death”. We can escape death, when we walk with God in faith. Eg. We have heard the brothers testimony, he was struck with throat cancer. How uncomfortable he was - could not eat or drink or swallow anything. He could not even talk. But our merciful, God once again lifted him with great love and has healed him today. When he went for check up last week, doctor has given him a healed certificate. This is a miracle God has performed in this brother’s life. When we surrender to God, acknowledging our sins, He is a ‘Just and Merciful’ God, ready to forgive those who come to Him with a ‘True & Repentant heart’. Proverbs 11:4” Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death”. No wealth of ours can deliver us from death, but only God’s Grace can. Like Enoch, we must always walk upright with God. When God’s wrath is upon us, no riches of ours can save us. But our righteousness can save us from God’s wrath. As we have seen so far, Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable to the Lord and Enoch walked with God with a true heart, hence Enoch escaped death and was lifted up alive unto Him. We must always stay in unity and oneness with God, we must let God’s spirit to lead us and guide us always.
The third person we see in the Bible is Noah. He was the tenth generation from Adam, the son of Lamech, Methusalehi grandson. We do not see any mention about Noah till 500 years of his birth. He had three sons and three daughter-in-law. But once God chose him to accomplish His Will, we see Noah’s mention in the holy scriptures. Genesis 6:4-5 “4There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”.
1) Noah got warning in the Spirit.
2) Noah’s faith and love for God increased.
3) He thought of saving his family.
4) He started making the boat.
5) His faith made him righteous.
2 Peter 2:5 “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly”. Jesus also remembered Noah in those days says in Matthew 24:37
Mathew 24:37 “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be”. Yes, the future days are just like days of Noah times. Let us heed to God’s warning and be saved. If we do not heed to God’s warning, we will be destroyed from the face of the earth. Even today, God is preparing us for His Second Coming. No one will know, He will come as thief in the midnight. Revelation 22:11-12 “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be”. Scriptures are very clear - Jesus testifies to the churches, His second coming is true …. those that are unjust, let him be unjust; those filthy, let him be filthy; those that are righteous, let him be righteous; and those that are holy, let him be holy. God is coming with a reward for His children who are righteous and holy and every man will be awarded according to his works. For those who believe in Him, will be blessed.
Jesus came into this world as a carpenter’s son. He was harassed and victimized during his time in this world. Yes, we too will be victimized for being followers of Jesus Christ. But let us face this world without any fears, because our God is greater than all the fears. Jesus himself has over come this world and faced the challenges successfully. God loves us very much. In the Rose of Sharon Church we are blessed, He provides us with the best and purest manna. The word is precious and priceless, its freely given to us, to those who want to accept and live by it. 2 Corinthians 7:1 “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God”. The fourth person and 1st person God changed name. We also see in Genesis 17:5” Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee”. Abraham was known as the ‘Father of the Nation’. We see in the holy scriptures, God spoke to different people in dreams, visions, through prophets and preachers. But in the above scriptures, we see God spoke to Abraham face-to-face. Ten times God spoke to Abraham. The first time God spoke to Abraham to leave all his beloved ones, his home and his country. In Genesis 12:1-2 “1Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing”. When Abraham obeyed and left all things behind in obedience to God’s command. God blessed Abraham richly, He made him wealthy and added more than all things Abraham ever had. Hebrews 11:8-10 “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God”. It is only in faith, Abraham believed and was greatly blessed. God gave Abraham great inheritance. This is the faith we all should have our race should end in victory. Romans 4:21” And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform”. In the end, God fulfilled all that He had promised to Abraham and Abraham became a faithful and a great servant of God.
The next person we see is Melchizedek. In Genesis 14:18-20 “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth. And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all”. Melchizedek was a great priest. In the book of Psalms we see him as the doer of His glorious works. Psalm 110:4 “4The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek”. He was a priest forever. We read in Hebrews 7:1-17 “For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him. To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace. Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham. But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him. If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest. Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. So we also should leave all the evil works of the flesh.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first”. Yes, during Jesus Second Coming, do we want to be received by Jesus? Then, we have to live a life of great faith like the ones that we have seen in the message..viz.. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Melchizedek. Yes, today’s times are similar to the times of Noah. Sins are abounding in this world, people are pursuing the evil desires of their thoughts and hearts. John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”. Trials and tribulations will be there in this world, but God promises us to be of Good cheer, He has overcome this world and gives us assurance of the same. Revelation 21:7” 7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son”. Finally the reassuring promise of God for His children, that when we overcome the temptations of this world, we will be winners and shall inherit all things and that God has willed for us, we will be His sons and daughters. What a great promise we have in our God !!
Pray this message will be a great blessing to all those who have heard it and will read it.
-- Pastor Saroja |
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