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Before We Get Gathered

Number 2:  November 18, 2005

 

Today is my youngest daughter’s birthday. We surprised her with balloons and a card in her room as she got up. Last night she made 4 cakes and many cupcakes to give away to bless others on her birthday. This is based upon an Oriental custom from the times when the Bible was written. It is an expression of gratitude to God when a milestone is reached in one’s life.

 

Isaiah 55:1:

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

 

It was an Eastern tradition during the times of the Bible when one had a birthday, instead of being the one who received presents and gifts and acts of kindness, the person who had the birthday would go into the market place to find a vendor to purchase a certain amount of goods. Then the vendor would start crying out that he had goods for free. Needy people would hear the cry, and go receive the goods that were already paid for by the person having the birthday. When they heard the vendor make the cry of goods without money, they understood it was someone’s birthday who was trying to express their thankfulness to God for His kindness.

 

The whole world has sinned and come short of the glory of God. Man can not pay the price for his deliverance so God sent His only begotten son into the world to pay the price for us. He took our place on the cross. He paid the debt. The justice of God was satisfied.

 

Through his sacrificial death, Christ purchased our salvation. It is a gift from God through Jesus Christ out lord. It is the most expensive gift ever offered to a human being. The cost to the Saviour was humiliation, rejection, anguish, and death.

 

Ephesians 2:8,9:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

           

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

 

Thanks should be made unto God who sent His only begotten son on our behalf so we can enjoy a more abundant life without money and without price to us.

 

John 3:16:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.