The Painted Door

Yesterday's service was really good, from the music to the message.  We sang In Christ Alone and Scandal of Grace.  It's kind of hard sometimes to sing those, especially  Scandal because it reminds me of Living Lord's Supper.  I didn't realize the impact Pastor Dick had on me until I hear songs that we did under his direction and the memories come rushing back.  I am grateful for the years I sat under his direction in choir, and even more so for the two and a half years, he was my boss.  I learned so much from him about how to do ministry. Even though I'm not serving any longer, those lessons will forever remain with me.

Pastor Eric painting the door posts to symbolize
the Blood of the Lamb.  Picture credit goes to
Donna South Petersen 

The message was from Exodus 12:1-13, 21-28 - the Tenth Plague.  Pastor Eric had a visual of a door frame on stage.  As he read the scripture and gave his message, the visual reminder of the door stained with blood left a lasting impression.  There were three lessons that he emphasized: 

First, the lesson about propitiation, which is a sacrifice that takes away God's wrath against our sin.  With each of the other plagues, Israel was spared while Egypt suffered. But this one was different. This one would affect everyone who did not obey God's command.  Jesus is our propitiation now, and the only way of escaping God's wrath over our sin is to accept his sacrifice as the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:2)

The second lesson was about substitution.  In Exodus, the substitution was a perfect, spotless lamb. It was chosen by the family and brought into the house where it was cared for.   I imagine that the children in the family would have grown attached to it.  It would have seemed like a family pet to them, probably much loved.  So it would have been hard for them to witness the sacrifice.  But witness it they did.  The blood of the perfect lamb saved their lives that night. And the Blood of the Spotless Lamb of God saves our lives.  As Pastor Eric said - "Our sin is counted to Jesus. His perfection is counted to us. 

Every morning I get up and write out scripture and yesterday was no different. I look at the passage that is scheduled for the day and write it out in my journaling notebook.  Well, for some reason I wrote out the wrong chapter. It was supposed to be Galatians 6:1-6, but I wrote out of chapter 5 instead.   But I honestly believe that was a God-thing because third point was the lesson about Freedom and Galatians 5:1-6 reads as follows: 

5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified[a] by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians+5&version=ESV>

All the other plagues failed to convince Pharoah to let the people go. But this one.  This one affected him in a way that was unlike the others and he finally relented.  The people were free to leave.  Their freedom, and our freedom came only with the death of the Perfect Lamb.  John 8:36 - If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.   

We may not be enslaved by a cruel Pharoah, but there are things that have enslaved us.  Worry.  Fear.  Addictions.  A past that haunts us.  We can be free of them. Our freedom - my freedom and yours - is freely offered to us. All we have to do is receive it is acknowledge that we aren't free by our own doing but through the blood of the Spotless Lamb.  Who the Son has freed is freed indeed. 

I couldn't help but think of the lyrics of the song Written in Red, and I like Janet Paschal's version. (Written in Red...I LOVE YOU! (Janet Paschal)

In letters of crimson, God wrote His love
On the hillside so long, long ago;
For you and for me Jesus died,
And love's greatest story was told.

1
I love you, I love you
That's what Calvary said;
I love you, I love you,
I love you, Written in Red

Down through the ages, God wrote His love
With the same hands that suffered and bled;
Giving all that He had to give,
A message so easily read.

2
I love you, I love you,
That's what Calvary said;
I love you, I love you,
I love you...

Bridge
Oh, precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know, nothing but the blood,
The blood of Jesus.

1
I love you, I love you
That's what Calvary said;
I love you, I love you,
I love you, Written... In Red