During the Rhodesian war two Viscount airliners were shot down by elements of Joshua Nkomo's ZIPRA. In total 117 holiday makers (men women and children) and crew were murdered. Of the the first aircraft s brought down on 2 September 1978 there were 18 survivors, 10 of whom were brutally murdered by terrorists. On 2 September 2012 the memorial shown to the left was unveiled at a special dedication ceremony in Pretoria, South Africa. Such are the horrors of war.
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“eat the fruit, for God is not telling you the truth when he said that you shall surely die if you do. He just doesn’t want you to know what he knows”,
In John 6:16-21 we read the following account:
When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed for three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid." Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. (NIV)
Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it. (Matt 7:13 GNV)
The narrow gate is open and you may enter in
Though the path that leads you there is exceptionally thin
The other gate is broader and the highway very wide
Friend, the choice is yours you can take either in your strideBut of these paths in life you can choose but one
At the end of each a portal where a new journey’s begun
One of these will take you to a place of burnished light
The other address is darker, for its everlasting nightChoose therefore wisely that you may not regret
For what you see so clearly is not always what you get
The road that seems so easy, so tempting thus to take
Could be your greatest error, the very worst mistake.
Titus 3:5b-7 He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (NIV)
Salvation is not a business deal where the profit is gained by buying at the lowest cost and selling at the highest price. It is true that we have been redeemed; bought back from the power of Satan: but that was the most expensive purchase in history. The life of the Son of God was exchanged for sinful people who could add no value to His kingdom. Salvation is a supreme act of grace on God's part, paying the highest price for the lowest value. Yet to us who are saved, the benefit is overwhelmingly large.
To become a Christian is not like joining a club or having a cultural experience: it is to be radically transformed. To be saved is to be washed clean; to be made pure and totally free from the filth of the world. To be saved is to be born again, having a new Father, a new identity and a new family. To be saved is to be made new on the inside with a new set of appetites and desires because the Holy Spirit of God has agreed to come to us and fill our personal space. To be saved is to receive the extravagant generosity of God. To be saved is to have all our sins taken away by Jesus so that we are declared 'not guilty' in the court of heaven. To be saved is to become an inheritor of heaven itself. So to be saved is to live with a confidence that all God has started in us will be completed when Jesus comes again.
So why does fear confuse our hearts, or the lust for fading pleasures promote foolish ambitions? It is because we have forgotten the greatness of our salvation. We have presumed upon our privileges as children of God but have forgotten the cost to Him and the value to us. It is time for God's people to wake up to the enormous value which God has placed upon us, and how much He has done for us. When we start to appreciate all that we have been given through Christ's sacrifice, we will learn to worship with our whole lives. Then we will witness gladly with our whole hearts and serve with everything we have. There will not be an 'ordinary day at the office' or 'routine in the factory' or 'crisis with the accounts' or 'confusion of purpose' ... instead we will see ourselves as children of a loving Father, servants of the King, ambassadors of the Kingdom and inheritors of heaven. All this is because we have been washed, reborn, renewed and justified! How great is the salvation we have received! Let us honour the One who has saved us as we live today.
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[1] http://biblefeeds.blogspot.com/2012/05/washed-reborn-renewed-justified-and.html