It Took a Miracle
What the Grants Pass junior/earliteen Sabbath School kids have learned and understood this quarter about the sanctuary is truly miraculous. We have learned the Israelites never heard of Jesus and they did not have a Bible, so God made a “Bible in Living Sound” for them, namely the Sanctuary. We have covered a lot of material including God’s amazing barbecue pit made of wood covered with metal. We have learned that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are represented in every piece of furniture. We have glittered a picture of the Holy Place, its furniture and the Ark of the Covenenant with gold glitter. We have painted the picture of the Altar of Burnt Offering with bronze paint. We have learned what the different colors mean, as well as all the materials and pieces. We learned that Jesus was represented by the lamb until it died, then He was represented by the priest and High Priest. To qualify for the Sanctuary honor, we must make a scale model picture of the Tabernacle setup. We completed this on Sabbath, March 25, and talked about the priest’s duties and went through a Sanctuary overview. The sanctuary also reminds us angels and God are everywhere — ready and willing to help us. I counseled them to never forget that!
The Gift Certificate
As a bonus, God gave me the greatest idea of giving a gift certificate to explain His gift of eternal life. To get the free gift certificate, the young people had to take part in all the activities of that day from the time they arrived, which I explained at the beginning. They also had to ask for it at the end of Sabbath School. I told them that I would not repeat these instructions, so if anyone came in late it was up to the young people to tell them about the free gift and how to get it. I was very pleased to see that when latecomers came in, they were Johnny-on-the-spot to tell them immediately. I had told them this gift would only be available this one Sabbath, and there would be no second chances. If they didn’t work on all the activities, they would not get a certificate. I provided all the supplies and tools to do the activities, but they had to do the work. They all pitched in and worked faithfully. Some were able to get all the things done, and some were not. Two had to leave early because of being in the Milo band, which was playing for church. They all got the same reward, and none were disappointed.
This experience was a parable. It illustrated God’s free gift of salvation. God provides enough for everyone. He provides all the supplies and tools, but only those who actually work on all the activities, even if they don’t get them all completed and ask for it will receive it. God wants us to tell everyone about this gift. Those who had to leave early, represented those whose life will be cut short. They will still get their gift.
Writing the programs based on the Bible and the book With Jesus in His Sanctuary by Leslie Hardinge has been a huge challenge. I have been on my knees, praying every day for wisdom in content and presentation. As usual, the Lord has come through with flying colors. It was indeed a miracle.
