FIRST GIFTS ARE SPECIAL GIFTS TO THE LORD The Lord gave Moses specific instructions for the people of Israel concerning the offering of gifts. The gifts were to be brought from each persons own possessions, whether from their herds or flocks. When Israel offered their gifts according to God’s instruction, He promised that He would
INVITED TO PRAY WITH JESUS Jesus invited Simon Peter, James, and John to keep watch and pray with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was the night of His betrayal, the day before His trial and crucifixion. He wanted them as prayer partners. They were willing, but their flesh was weak. It had been
ONLY WHAT’S DONE FOR CHRIST WILL LAST On the Wednesday of Passion Week, Jesus and His disciples took a day of rest a short distance from Jerusalem in a town called Bethany. While eating a meal at Simon the leper’s house, a woman anointed Jesus’ head with an expensive perfume worth a year’s wages. This
ARE YOU READY FOR CHRIST’S RETURN? Referring to Himself by the Messianic title, “Son of Man,” Jesus described His Second Coming to His disciples. This will occur at the end of the Great Tribulation. This is not the Rapture (cf. 1 Thess. 4:13-18), which precedes the seven years of tribulation, but the time when Jesus
JESUS WATCHES OUR GIVING Jesus sat near the Temple collection box so that He might watch who was giving and how much they were giving. He did this to teach a lesson to His disciples. As they witnessed the rich tossing handfuls of coins into the Temple treasury, the heavy coins made a loud metallic
MEDITATING ON GOD’S LOVE Biblical meditation is not an emptying of the mind as the Eastern religions teach. Rather, it is a focusing of the mind on God and His Word. Here, the Psalmist focused the thoughts of his mind on God’s character, namely, His “unfailing love.” We are called to meditate on God’s
WHAT’S AT THE CENTER OF YOUR LIFE? The Lord instructed the Israelites to set up camp with the Tabernacle at the center. Their tents were to face inward toward the place of worship, not outward toward the world. Worship was to be the center of individual and community life. All of daily life was to
THE PRINCIPLE OF THE TITHE The first principle of the tithe, which is ten percent of the harvest, is that it “belongs to the Lord.” Therefore, bringing the tithe to the Temple was not an offering, but an obligation. To do otherwise would be “robbery” (Mal. 3:8). It reminded the people that God is owner
JESUS HAS GONE AHEAD OF US AND FOR US Jesus led the way up from Jericho to Jerusalem to face his ultimate purpose for coming–– the cross. The walk up from Jericho would take about 6-8 hours as they traveled the Roman road, the ruins of which can still be seen today. It was a
WHAT IS THE CALLING OF THE CHURCH AS LAMPSTAND? The golden Lampstand stood in the Tabernacle with its seven lamps filled with olive oil facing the Table of Presence. It was to be kept continuously lit by the high priest. Its light was to shine on the Bread of Presence and throughout the holy place.