"Sarah McBeath, a spokeswoman for Atlantic Lottery, said a winning Lotto Max ticket worth $1 million was sold somewhere in Dartmouth in August. The prize has never been claimed..."The Lotto Max jackpot was $50 million and there was an additional
32 $1-million prizes that were drawn," said McBeath."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scoti...How many tickets have you ever saw in the garbage, and wondered if they were a tossed winner? Have you ever bent over to pick up a lottery ticket off the ground, only to discover that the draw date was already passed? Both of these scenarios could have happened to someone unaware that the additional draw for a $Million had not happened yet. Think of it... you just looked at a ticket that has an "expired date" and just tossed a million dollars back into the garbage!
Can you imagine the trauma? This is not the only time this has happened according to the Atlantic Lottery officials a second unclaimed $1-million prize is set to expire on November 22 this year! What a loss... have you ever just lost a million dollars? Think of all the unsuspecting losers, not just tossing the ticket in the first place, but re-tossing the winning ticket back into the garbage... makes me think of how many people have tossed similar valuable things away unbeknownst to them... things that aren't things.
Like time with family, time with God.... like TME. How many walk past the key to their survival and happiness... like they would an outdated manual; looking for some updated or rewritten source instead? Just because it has an ancient date on it, it doesn't mean that it is an expiry date... the book is still valid, and still a winner! The cool thing is that just because some have had their entire lives changed for the good, because of it's truths...
it hasn't diminished it's saving qualities one bit. The Bible is still a winner!
But remember the "ticket" is just the ticket and not the prize! One must take the ticket in and cash it in with the one that makes the ticket valid... much like the truths of the Bible, one must take these truths to God, and have Him give you the "ticket's reward" ...and the prize is life eternal. The winning ticket might be the truths of the Bible... but if it is not "cashed-in" ...the reward, like the $Million Dollar Lotto Ticket, will go unclaimed.
Though the "reward" is literally "out of this world" ...eternal life starts now. God also gives a "deposit" that guarantees this reward here and now, to secure this inheritance for the future... something one benefits from immediately, His Spirit...
"you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:13-14)
...like the commodity of food in a time of plenty, the Gospel message seems of little value while one is living... yet soon after, it is revealed as something priceless! How many people toss Jesus Christ, after checking His "date" of 2000 years ago? Many have picked up the Biblical claims of Christ... only to re-toss them into the garbage, or into the "filing cabinet" of things to do later? One's soul is of considerable value, much more than mere millions... yet many only find out too late.
I have visited many carnivals with my kids, and an interesting thing is that they only redeem their own issued tickets. Only valid tickets issued for their rides are of any value at all. Can you imagine the audacity of these amusement parks... wanting you to only use their tickets?? Narrow minded bigots? I think not. God has issued each of us a free-ride in this world... to use as we choose, but the next ride's eternal destination depends on us. It too is free, paid for by the Owner of the "ride" ...but it requires only the humility enough it takes to ask. That's right the humility it takes to ask...
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
(Romans 10:13)"For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?"
(Matthew 8:36)
...better to re-check your "ticket" now... before it finally gets punched. Jesus Christ and His Salvation for the world has not diminished at all since the day that He offered it many years ago... many today are "claiming this ticket" and getting full-value all over the world! Many simply choose to toss this offer out, without even so much as a second thought... only to later regret their glib attitudes.
Like a dollar bill torn in half, each bearing a serial number... either half is worthless as a dollar unless it is matched with the other. SO it is with Salvation, God has your number! Eagerly waiting, God is wanting to bless the world with His presence, if they would only return to Him... though millions have been successful "matched" with their Savior; it seems that is not good enough for those who are content to stand on the sidelines.
Just remember, only you can redeem that "winning ticket"... before YOU expire.