Understandably, there are many who are unaware of the difference between tithes and offerings. Many, even seasoned members are surprised to learn there is a difference. Tithe is not used for general use, like church maintenance, Sabbath School supplies and so on. The offerings cover those needs, while the tithe goes to pay the salaries of … Continue reading –>
Our memory text brings to us the third verse of: Hymn 547, Be Thou My Vision singing “Riches, I heed not..” We are then encouraged to fight in the armor and power of God which is shown in: Hymn 448, “O, When Shall I See Jesus” in verse 2. This also appears in: Hymn 572, “Give of … Continue reading –>
More than six billion Bibles have been distributed worldwide, but how many are viewed as the Word of the living God? How many are read with a sincere heart open to know truth? Proper Bible study directs our spiritual compass and enables us to navigate a world of falsehood and confusion. The Bible is a … Continue reading –>
Love of worldly possessions, even by those who don’t have much, can be a powerful chain that binds the soul to the world instead of to Christ. Even if we don’t have much in terms of earthly possessions, the passionate desire to attain material goods can become a terrible curse that will, if not brought … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Ps. 119:11; Eph. 6:18; Rom. 8:5-6; Heb. 11:1-6; 1 Kings 3:14; Ezek. 36:26-27. Memory Text: “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. . . . He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage” (Proverbs 11:4, Proverbs 11:28, NKJV). Though Satan failed with Jesus, he has … Continue reading –>
I’m going to take the long way around today in discussing the topic of this week’s study, “God or Mammon.” I know I could have gotten there quicker by starting with the Widow with two mites and the Rich Young Ruler. Those two stories are packed with much insight into our relationship with money. Instead … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Stewardship, as we understand it, started with God placing Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden home that they were to care for and manage (Gen. 2:15). In this perfect environment they were to make the garden livable, a task that could not have been that hard. God authorized their new role and taught them … Continue reading –>
We belong to God, both by creation and by redemption. And not only do we belong to God, but all our possessions do as well. We, of ourselves, own nothing other than our own choices. In contrast, a central tenet of worldliness is the idea that we are owners of our possessions. Yet this is … Continue reading –>
In His confrontation with Pharaoh, God declared, “For at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth” (Exod. 9:14, NKJV). What did the Lord mean when He said that “there is … Continue reading –>
The early Christian church did not build dedicated church buildings. They typically met in people’s homes or in public spaces, such as the temple forecourt. They often met in synagogues, because of their close connections with the Jews. The earliest known Christian church (second century), the Dura-Europos church in Syria was essentially a house church. … Continue reading –>
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33 NKJV Driving along Bayshore Drive in Tampa, I noticed some huge houses. I wondered what it might be like to have a huge home. Then I asked myself, why would I need a house … Continue reading –>
Debt is not a principle of heaven. But Adam and Eve sinned, and a broken law meant death. Thus, humanity became debtors to divine justice. We were bankrupt, spiritually insolvent from a debt that we could never repay. God’s love for us set in motion the plan of redemption. Jesus became a “surety” for us (Heb. … Continue reading –>
