God Bless~

He shall be my one & only priority...

Love, GinniePark

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Memory Verse of the Week:

"For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of Sabbath rest to the LORD." - Exodus 35:2a

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Freewill Offering - Exodus 35:20-29

Willing Gifts

20: "Then the whiole Israelite community withdrew from Moses' presence,"

21: "and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments."

22: "All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the LORD."

23: "Everyone who had blue, purple, or scarlet yarn or fine linen, or goat hair, ram skins dyed red or the other durable leather brought them."

24: "Those presenting an offering of silver or bronze brought it as an offering to the LORD, and everyone who had acacia wood for any part of the work brought it."

 

Willing Givers

25: "Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun - blue, purple, or scarlet yarn or fine linen."

26: 'And all the women who were willing and had the skill spun the goat hair."

27: "The leaders brought onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and piece."

28: "They also brought spices and olive oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense."

29: "All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the LORD free-will oferings for all the work the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do."

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Reflection

Willing Gifts (35:20-24)

After hearing the commands of Moses, the crowds disperse, and they search their hearts and homes. The response is overwhelming! People joyfully give the requested materials. Earlier, the people had given some gold to Aaron to fashion a golden calf. Now instead, they bring their gifts to God to build and supply the tabernacle. True repentance is accompanied by a change of action.

The gifts they give are not random. There is a specific list of matierals that they are to bring, including gold, certain coloreed yarn, and acacia wood. They are to give precious materials for the tabernacle, not things that have no value. In Genesis 4, Cain brought "some of the fruits of the soil," whereas his brother Abel brought the best: "Fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock." God was pleased with Abel's sacrifice but not Cain's, because Abel knew how to offer his best to the LORD.

 

Willing Givers (35:25-29)

The Bible is often criticized as being misogynistic, but it actually honors women in strikingly countercultural ways. For example, Genesis 2:24 says, "a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh" (emphasis added). Every culture of that time would have stipulated that the woman should leave her parents, not the other way around.

Interestingly, when Aaron took the collection for the golden calf, he instructed the men to take the gold earrings from their wives, sons, and daughters and to bring them to him. Aaron followed what was expected culturally. But when Moses collects the freewill offering, the Bible stresses that it was from both "men and women." Moreover, women are singled out and honored as presenting skilled craftsmanship.

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Application

-Do you give God your best or just some of what you have? Does your most alert time go toward prayer or your to-do list? Change one thing about your schedule to prioritize God.

-We are not to be conformed to this world, but oftentimes we buy into cultural norms like materialism without a second thought. Ask God to transform you and enable you to live by kingdom principles.

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"The will of God is not something you add to your life. It's a course you choose."

-Elisabeth Elliot

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Christian Tithing

In an effort to become a "better" church, some church leaders hire professionals to examine and analyze the church's strengths and weaknesses. And they find that its biggest weakness is usually tithing. Tithing is a touchy subject in the modern-day church. The problem comes both from the way the church leaders speak on tithes, and how the church members respond.

Gotquestions.org states, "In some churches tithing is over-emphasized. At the same time, many Christians refuse to submit to the biblical exhortations about making offerings to the Lord. Tithing/giving is intended to be a joy and a blessing. Sadly, that is sometimes not the case in the church today." Many of these grumbling Christians will quote 2 Corinthians 9:7, which states, "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under cumpulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

In this situation, neither the church nor the congregation is in the right. Both are missing the mark of what God has called us to do. Tithing and giving is about obeying God's Word and honoring Him with what He has blesssed us with. But it is also about enabling the church to meet every need in the community, not just to raise as much money as possible. Exodus 35:20-29 provides a wonderful example of how giving is supposed to be done. Moses gave the decree for what was needed, God stirred the people's hearts, and the people responded with joy in obedience.

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A Letter to God

O Sovereign Lord, You are the one true God, worthy of all our praise and service.

Open my eyes to see Your true worth that I may joyfully render unto You what is rightfully Yours.

Conform me to the image of Your Son, in whose name I pray. Amen.