Weekly Pastoral Message prepared by Rev. Murray Adamthwaite
for Sunday 31st May 1998

From the Pastor: He ascended into heaven III

"When christ appeared ... He entered through the greater and more perfect Tabernacle ..." Hebrews 9:11 One of the great obsessions of our time is the search for life elsewhere in the universe: millions of dollars are being spent on giant radio telescopes; ever more sophisticated technology is being installed, hopefully to "hear" messages from intelligent life in the heavens. Then spacecraft have been sent off into the nether regions carrying messages for hoped-for aliens to read. Popular magazines (of the "New Age" variety) will carry feature articles on every scrap of alleged evidence of alien intelligence to prop up the hope that "we are not alone". I leave aside for the moment the question of the validity of these enterprises; but it is sad to record that the Intelligence that is there in the heavens in never consulted or listened to. And one does not need high technology to tune in to it either! He Who is Wisdom personified (Proverbs 8:11; Colossians 2:3) has Himself passed through the heavens, and He gives us all the wisdom we will ever be able to know, or need. What motivates this quest for an apparent chimera? Is it a desire for a substitute "god", and especially one who is not concerned with the issue of sin? If such "intelligence" were ever found it would surely come as a great relief to multitudes for that very reason. Men have always wanted such a god. But the real God is very mch concerned with the issue of sin, yet He has provided a real High Priest, as opposed to the modern secular substitutes, Who has now ascended into the heavens, has dealt with the sin issue, and will recieve anyone who comes by His mediation. Stop looking to wispy possibilities in the sky, and look to the Heavenly Mediator Who was here, but now really is there in the heavens.