covenant in which we participate through Jesus:
2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary;
3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All,
4 which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;
5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat...
These are all reminders of the presence of God. The Ark of the Covenant relates to the presence of Jesus, who is Immanuel, "God With Us." He came to earth so that humanity might have a restored relationship with God the Father. God wants to meet with us, and we can come before His throne because of the sacrifice that Jesus made - He made a way for us to enter in to His presence. And, He calls us and enables us to spread His presence in the world in which we live.
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In Exodus 25, we see the instructions for what is called an "ark." We know it as the Ark of the
Covenant, an expression of the presence of God to His people. We read:
10 "And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.
11 And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and shall make on it a molding of gold all around.
Later in the chapter, we read:
16 And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you.
17 You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width.
17 You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width.
The relationship of this mercy seat and ark is found in verses 21 and 22:
21 You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.
22 And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.
21 You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.
22 And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.
Day 8 of this year's Advent-ure, in which I'm examining symbols related to the birth of Jesus, involves the Ark of the Covenant.
The concerns over a government showing favor to one group of people over another or one type of religious practice has apparently spilled over into how municipal governments acknowledge Christmas. I came across a WorldNetDaily story from 2 Christmases ago that highlights this concerning trend.
According to a survey conducted by the U.K.'s Christian Institute, only one of hundreds of municipal governments that were contacted in a survey mentioned the birth of Jesus in greetings distributed during that Christmas season.
John Bingham, writing in the London Telegraph, said: "It is the biggest religious festival of the year, the moment when more than 2 billion Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus." He went on: “But a glance at the official Christmas cards sent out by Britain’s local councils this year seems to suggest the occasion is apparently best celebrated without any reference to religion – or often even mention of the word ‘Christmas’ itself.”
Only about half of the 191 councils that responded to the survey by the Institute said they would mention Christmas. 27% said they would not be sending out any greetings, with another 17 percent sending cards that "do not even have a passing reference to Christmas,” according to the Institute.
Simon Calvert, a spokesman for the Institute, in a BBC interview, said: “There are a range of views,” adding, “But what some people appear to want is one view. That’s the secular view.” He also said, “if you wipe out Christ from Christmas, aren’t you being insensitive to the millions and millions who do celebrate Christmas?” Noting that two-thirds of the nation's residents identify as Christian, he said, "They pay their taxes, too."
She is quoted as saying:
The concerns over a government showing favor to one group of people over another or one type of religious practice has apparently spilled over into how municipal governments acknowledge Christmas. I came across a WorldNetDaily story from 2 Christmases ago that highlights this concerning trend.
According to a survey conducted by the U.K.'s Christian Institute, only one of hundreds of municipal governments that were contacted in a survey mentioned the birth of Jesus in greetings distributed during that Christmas season.
John Bingham, writing in the London Telegraph, said: "It is the biggest religious festival of the year, the moment when more than 2 billion Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus." He went on: “But a glance at the official Christmas cards sent out by Britain’s local councils this year seems to suggest the occasion is apparently best celebrated without any reference to religion – or often even mention of the word ‘Christmas’ itself.”
Only about half of the 191 councils that responded to the survey by the Institute said they would mention Christmas. 27% said they would not be sending out any greetings, with another 17 percent sending cards that "do not even have a passing reference to Christmas,” according to the Institute.
The report pointed out that the Banbridge Council in Northern Ireland is the one which mentioned the birth of Christ, with a message inside the greeting that said, "As we celebrate the birth of Christ may God’s love be with you this Christmas season and evermore.”
Simon Calvert, a spokesman for the Institute, in a BBC interview, said: “There are a range of views,” adding, “But what some people appear to want is one view. That’s the secular view.” He also said, “if you wipe out Christ from Christmas, aren’t you being insensitive to the millions and millions who do celebrate Christmas?” Noting that two-thirds of the nation's residents identify as Christian, he said, "They pay their taxes, too."
Christian Institute director Colin Hart related: "Well done to those public officials who have chosen to shun the saccharine sentiment of ‘Happy Holidays’ for Christmas cards that celebrate the coming of Jesus. The birth of Christ is a cause for deep joy, not PC inflicted embarrassment."
And, a recent story at The Telegraph website starts off by saying:
British laws and traditions such as the celebration of Christmas are under threat and must be vigorously upheld to stop ethnic segregation dividing society, according to major government review.
Waves of immigration have rapidly changed the character of some state schools and left residents in parts of Britain feeling unsettled, the landmark report will say.The U.K.'s "immigration tsar" Dame Louise Casey was in charge of the survey, which was conducted over the period of a year, and according to the article, she was taking councils to task, challenging them to confront political correctness.
She is quoted as saying:
“I have become convinced that it is only the upholding of our core British laws, cultures, values and traditions that will offer us the route map through the different and complex challenge of creating a cohesive society.”Casey also said: “We need to be much bolder in not just celebrating our history, heritage and culture, but standing up for our democratically decided upon laws of the land and standing up to those that undermine them.”
In light of this information, there are several thoughts upon which we can reflect:
We can look for ways to spread the presence of God in our society. We don't have to look to government to spread it, or institutions, or media. Sure, it would be nice if more people in positions of power and influence acknowledged God's truth or communicated it, but we, His people, called by His name, the Church, the Body of Christ, are the principal relayers of that truth. And, during the Christmas season, we have enhanced opportunities and greater spiritual sensitivity to share that truth.
We can look for ways to spread the presence of God in our society. We don't have to look to government to spread it, or institutions, or media. Sure, it would be nice if more people in positions of power and influence acknowledged God's truth or communicated it, but we, His people, called by His name, the Church, the Body of Christ, are the principal relayers of that truth. And, during the Christmas season, we have enhanced opportunities and greater spiritual sensitivity to share that truth.
Another principle that comes to mind is this: We should be for diversity, but when a group's traditions are subverted by a vocal minority, then you have a problem. Respect is one thing; domination is another. We should always be respectful of people with whom we disagree; firm in our convictions and our compassion.
Finally, we recognize that in America, it seems that governments are way too intimidated by the accusations of "establishing religion" and end up denying people their freedom to express their faith. Sure, I think there's hostility out there, but I think there are people in authority who are afraid whenever religious matters hit the public square. It's part of the civil landscape today, and it is certainly a matter of prayer.
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