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HopeLives365

Mark Finley

Survival Secrets for End Times

In the coming crisis that will soon break upon this world, the secret of survival is knowing that we're not alone.

It's knowing that whatever challenge we go through, whatever test we face, whatever crisis breaks upon this world, that we're not alone.

That God himself will give us strength to deal with that crisis.

Father in heaven, we thank you for the glorious assurance that we're not alone.

We thank you that you have said in Hebrews chapter 13 that you would never leave us or forsake us.

We cling to that promise as we study about the coming crisis and particularly survival secrets that will enable us to survive.

We pray that you would be with us, lift our minds from the thoughts of this earth, from the clutter that's all around us, from the clamoring voices, and place them on eternity for these few moments we pray thee in Christ's name, amen.

Christ's prediction of the coming destruction of Jerusalem was soon to be fulfilled.

Rumors of war filled the city of Jerusalem.

Sestus and his soldiers gathered around the city.

Christians escaped from that city, but it was in 70 AD that Titus attacked Jerusalem.

As he did, over 1000000 Jews died in the destruction of Jerusalem, and that would include some of the Roman soldiers that died as well.

It was 1 of the most devastating attacks in the history of warfare.

When the Romans surrounded Jerusalem, the famine in Jerusalem became so great that Jewish spies left the city to find just a very few herbs that were growing and they risked their lives when they came back in the city.

Often they were killed and murdered because others wanted that food.

Some chewed on shoe leather to try to get a few vitamins and there are even reports where parents killed their children to eat their flesh as horrible as that is.

Now, the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem was very significant, not only for Jews, but it was also significant for Jewish Christians, because 1 must recognize that this is only about 40 years since the death of Christ.

And there were those Jewish Christians that continued to believe in the ceremonial system.

There were those Jewish Christians that focused their attention on that tabernacle and the destruction of that tabernacle, which is absolutely devastating for them.

Now Christians living at end time are very interested in the destruction of Jerusalem, and the reason we are is because Jesus in his sermon in Matthew chapter 24 blends the signs that led up to the destruction of Jerusalem with the signs of the end of the world.

And so we're interested in that whole scenario around the destruction of Jerusalem.

Now shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem, Paul sent a letter.

It was sent in the mid-60s, shortly before Jerusalem was destroyed.

And the reason why the Apostle Paul sent that letter was to encourage the Hebrews with the reality that although the earthly sanctuary would be destroyed, there would be a heavenly sanctuary that they could focus their attention on where Christ was ministering for them.

Now understanding these eternal principles in the book of Hebrews, the Christians in the first century would not only survive, they would thrive.

And if we understand The principles in the book of Hebrews will not only survive crises that we face today, but will thrive in the crises that are coming in the future.

They are survival secrets for an end time generation to prepare them for the coming of Jesus.

Take your Bibles please and turn to Hebrews chapter 10.

We begin our study this morning with verse 19.

Hebrews the 10th chapter and we're looking there at verse 19.

This is the heart of the book of Hebrews.

They are written to the Hebrews just before the destruction of Jerusalem to prepare them for their crisis, and they echo and re-echo down the corridors of time to prepare an end-time generation for the crisis that's coming.

Hebrews, the 10th chapter, we begin with verse 19.

Therefore, In other words, based on everything that's come before.

Brothers and sisters, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he's consecrated for us through the veil that is his flesh.

Now the word boldness there is better translated confidence.

So we could translate it, therefore having confidence.

1 translator translates it in a way I hadn't seen before, liberty.

Therefore, having the liberty, therefore having the freedom to enter in to.

Our text says, Therefore, having the freedom, having the confidence because of the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way to enter in through the veil that is His flesh.

You can see this same word in Hebrews 4 verse 16.

We approach God knowing that He desires us to come into His presence.

We see the same thing in Hebrews chapter 4, verse 16.

The word boldly is not some brashly, it's not some arrogantly or proudly, it's rather confidently, it's rather with the freedom to know that we're children of God.

Therefore let us come boldly or confidently with the freedom that we're children of God to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need." Now this is revolutionary for the ancient Hebrews when they would read this.

You see, when the ancient priests entered the earthly sanctuary, they came with fear and trembling.

They came from the court on the day of atonement into the holy place, then they went beyond the veil into the most holy place, and there between the cherubims was the Shekinah Gori of God.

They came with fear, they came with trepidation, they came filled with anxiety.

But here Paul says in Hebrews, therefore, let us come confidently.

We can approach God not with fear, not filled with anxiety on whether we're good enough to be saved, but we can approach God with the confidence, with the absolute certainty that He loves us, that He accepts us, that He longs to welcome us into His presence.

Now the word holiest there has to do with the whole sanctuary.

We come to the most holy, to the Shekinah glory of God's presence.

God says, I want you to come directly into my presence.

We enter the holiest, that is the Holy of Holies, the sanctuary, directly into his presence by the blood of Jesus.

And Paul says that's a new and living way.

See, the priests entered with fear because they entered with the blood of animals.

We enter with confidence because of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

We enter with confidence because of what Jesus has done for us.

The priests entered the sanctuary with the blood of dead animals.

We enter the presence of God through the blood of Christ with confidence.

Through his sacrifice, don't miss this, through his sacrifice, we have a place of refuge.

We have a place of eternal fellowship in the presence of Christ.

So Jesus says, don't approach me with fear.

Approach me with the absolute confidence through the blood of Christ.

This is where you belong with the assurance of my love.

This is where you belong, with the confidence that I'll never leave you and never forsake you.

This is the secret of survival, drawing near to God with the confidence that whatever is going on earth, whatever chaos, whatever calamity, whatever confusion, that we by faith ascend to the presence of God in the most holy place of heaven's sanctuary, and there we find refuge.

Now, notice what our text says back to Hebrews 10.

This text is so incredibly filled with meaning.

Verse 19, therefore brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he consecrated for us.

That is his flesh." So this idea of entering through the veil, The priests of the sanctuary entered in through that veil to get to the most holy place.

Here Paul says we enter through the flesh of Christ or His body.

Christ entered the Holy of Holies in the heavenly sanctuary And he presented his body before God as a living sacrifice.

He presented this body in the heavenly courts.

He presented himself before God for the acceptance of his sacrifice.

The body given to him by God, the body in which he had conquered temptation and gained complete victory, the body in which he had suffered and died, the body that could not be holden by death, the body in which he triumphed over evil, the body cleansed and purified by every defilement, the body that would be raised up after 3 days that could not be held in the tomb, the body that was the shadow of sacrifices that were practiced for thousands of years, the holy body, the consecrated body, God's ideal for man was at last recognized.

Survival Secrets for End Times

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