Under the former covenant, God gave the command to Israel: “Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee” (Deuteronomy 16:16-17). God did not want the men of Israel appearing before him empty-handed. They were to bring of their possessions to give.

The Israelites would give their best—their “firstfruits”—to God (Exodus 23:15-19). Hezekiah initiated religious restoration in the land by destroying the idols and reinstituting the Lord’s feasts. When he appointed the priests and Levites and commanded the people to give the portion due to them we read, “And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly” (2 Chronicles 31:5). It is easy to spend money on things we love. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34). One can cheerfully give to God if God reigns supreme in one’s heart (2 Corinthians 9:7). God has always desired that His people have a sacrificial spirit. David said to Araunah, who volunteered to freely give him what he needed for the offering that would halt the plague, “Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). Malachi 1 shows how the Lord feels about half-hearted worship displayed in giving that which has little or no value.

Last Sunday evening, we considered how giving is worship. When the Philippians sent financial support to Paul by the hands of Epaphroditus, he called it, “an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18). We are reminded in Hebrews 13:16, “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” To “communicate” is to share, to give to the Lord’s cause. Do we give the Lord our best? Does our giving affect the way we live or do we give what we have left after we have bought what we want? Jesus praised the poor widow for her offering, saying, “For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had” (Luke 21:4).

Consider the words of the Psalmist, “Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth” (Psalm 96:7-9). Giving the Lord what is due Him is not an aspect of worship that can be relegated to the former covenant; if Christians would worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness today under the New Testament, then they must give (1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7). We must give more than lip-service; we must give our hearts (Matthew 15:8).

-Mark Day

The birth described in Isaiah 66:7-9 is no ordinary birth; the extraordinary characteristics are as follows:

“Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.”

The birth is so sudden that it happened before labor. What would an expectant mother give to deliver before any pain? However, this is no physical birth, rather “Zion” is personified as a mother who suddenly gives birth to a nation. Earlier in Isaiah, Zion (Israel) is depicted as a mother who gives birth to the Servant who causes her wayward children to return (Isaiah 49). To a weary remnant of faithful Jews, the question of whether Israel would ever be restored to its former glory was pressing. The answer is that the Lord would bring about something greater than any physical nation; He would do something unprecedented. God, in his eternal purpose, was going to bring forth a spiritual nation in one day. This certainly would be unique, unparalleled in history. Hence, the questions, “Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things?” (v. 8). But God had brought Zion forth to the time of birth; there was no way that He would shut the womb—let anything stop the birth of His spiritual nation.

Isaiah 66 goes on to describe how God’s glory would be declared among the Gentiles (v. 18), that both Jews and Gentiles would be part of bringing an offering to the Lord (v. 20) as God would take of both Jews and Gentiles to make priests to Him. The church is described as “a royal priesthood, an holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9). Those redeemed by Christ’s blood from every kindred, tongue, people, and nation are made kings and priests (Revelation 5:9-10). When Christ came into the world, He preached that God’s kingdom was nearby (Matthew 4:17). He promised to build His church and give access to the kingdom (Matthew 16:18-19). The church came into existence on Pentecost day following the resurrection of Christ; notice the suddenness of the birth: “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:1-2). The result was those people who believed, repented, and were baptized were added to the church is(Acts 2:38, 41, 47).

Certainly the womb of Judaism brought forth Christianity. Jesus was a Jew born under the law of Moses (Romans 1:3; Galatians 4:4). The first converts of Christianity were Jews (Romans 1:16). The Jewish Law and Prophets were the first literary evidence for following Christ (Acts 24:14; 28:23). Isaiah 66 shows that God’s spiritual seed would continue via a new spiritual nation; all flesh is invited to be part of it, but only those who in a contrite heart respond to the word of His invitation will escape the fire of God’s wrath.

-Mark Day

As many hopefully know by now our annual Book Reading Challenge is underway. Should there be others who wish to join the challenge, the guidance document with the book list to choose from is on the table under the picture board in the foyer. One of the books on the list to choose is a book entitled “The Domino Effect” by Tim Lewis. Since I have the book in my personal library, I decided to read it myself. To give others an “adapted” preview of the book in case someone may be considering choosing it to read I offer the following.

The name of the book comes from the idea dominos set “standing up” and when the first domino is tipped over, it begins a chain reaction as dominos fall one after the other. The author of the book uses this as an illustration of the decisions we make in life. He begins by saying “The first domino is crucial. Everything starts with the Word of God. The person who decides to base every decision on the Bible will inevitably glorify God. The one who seeks to glorify God will ultimately imitate Jesus. The one who imitates Jesus will always seek first God’s kingdom. When the kingdom comes first in a person’s life, that person will live by the Golden Rule and saturate his life with prayer. When a person does all of the things just mentioned, his life will become incredibly influential and if he hopes to maintain that influence, he will diligently purify his thoughts. A pure mind that is not contaminated or distracted by evil is free to focus on eternal things like the promise of a home with God. The progression is undeniable. Each good decision leads to the next; it is a domino effect.

Decisions Affect Character. Decisions are important because they affect your character. The decisions you make today determine the person you will become tomorrow. In a sense you are writing your life story one day, and one decision, at a time. Your character and personality are the direct result and the sum total of every decision you have ever made. In other words, whoever you are right now is exactly who you have decided to be. Some will resent that implication. Others, I am certain, would protest that such a statement is judgmental and unfair. An appeal might be made to the irresistible forces of nature and nurture. Someone claimed they cannot help who they have become because they are genetically predisposed to be that way or because their environment made it impossible for them to be anything else. This mindset not only removes all personal accountability but it also makes everyone of us a victim of circumstance. Yet we see examples all the time of people who have overcome the odds by coming out of an almost impossible situation and accomplishing something meaningful with their lives.

Decisions Have Serious Consequences. Decisions are important not only because they affect your character but also because they almost always have inescapable consequences. To some people, any talk about harsh consequences has the strange ring of being somewhat unchristian. After all, Christianity is the religion of forgiveness and second chances. It is a wonderful thing that sinners can be forgiven. Prodigals can always come home. The blood of Jesus is greater than all our sins. There is a reason we call the gospel good news – it is good news. But let me remind you that although sin can be forgiven, consequences cannot be avoided. Paul explained it this way in Galatians 6:7: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap”. In other words, no matter how hard you try you cannot sin and avoid the consequences.

Decisions Determine Destiny. Decisions are important because they affect your destiny in life and in eternity. You don’t need a GPS to tell you that certain decisions are going to lead you away from God. When Achan took the devoted things after the battle with Jericho, how could he have expected things to turn out any differently than the way they did? He must have known from the very beginning how that decision would end. He had to know that he was taking a very precarious course in life and that acting as he chose could only end badly, just as it did, Achan and his entire family were executed. (Joshua 7:24-25) Don’t fool yourself into thinking the road you are on will end somewhere other than where it is so obviously leading. If the path you are currently traveling is not taking you where you want to go, then the wisest thing you can do is change your direction now. Just remember this, “when you pick a path in life you are also choosing a destination.” (The Domino Effect)

-Jerry D. Sturgill

The opening chapter of the prophecy of Joel involves a description of the calamities God would bring upon the people of Judah because of their sins, including a locust plagued unequaled in the history of the land, a drought, and an ensuing famine. Joel 2:1-17 gives a metaphorical description of the carnage the army of locusts would wreak upon Zion. Then God issues a call to repentance in Joel 2:12-17. If the people would tear their hearts on the inside—weeping and fasting—rather than merely the outward display of tearing their garments, then the Lord would be merciful (Joel 2:12-13). What follows is a description of what the Lord would do for His people who had repented. It is important for us to understand the attitude God has for His people who turn to Him in repentance.

God would be jealous for His land and pity His people (Joel 2:18). Notice both the land and the people are called “His.” The jealousy of God refers to His zeal and devotion for what is properly His. When one commits an offense against the Lord, His jealousy/zeal is kindled (Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 4:24; 32:21; Joshua 24:19; Isaiah 42:13; Zephaniah 3:8). Moreover, when His people suffer, His jealousy is triggered (Ezekiel 36:1-5; Zechariah 1:14-17; 8:1-8). Thus, the jealousy that brought destruction to Judah because they would not give God what was properly His would be the same as the zeal that would come to the aid of those who had repented and come back to Him.

God would send corn, wine, and oil (Joel 2:19-20) to reverse what the locusts (1:10) and the drought (1:19-20) had cut off. In answer to the prayer in 2:17, God would no more make the people a reproach among the heathen nations (2:19). The invading army from the north so often referred to in the prophets as a threat to God’s people (Isaiah 41:25; Jeremiah 1:14-15; 4:6; 6:1; 10:22; 13:20; 26:24; 47:2; 50:3, 9; 51:48; Ezekiel 26:7; 38:15; 39:2; Daniel 11:15-45) would be far removed (Joel 2:20). The joy and gladness that had been cut off (Joel 1:16) would return because of what the Lord would do (2:21). Indeed, it was God who caused this great change. He would send the rain so that the threshing floors could be full of wheat and the vats could overflow with oil and wine (Joel 2:23-24). Because of their repentance, God promises, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed” (Joel 2:25-27).

God is a consuming fire to those who transgress His will and fail to render what is due Him who alone is the Almighty God. However, He is a powerful force for healing and restoration in the lives of those who in penitence turn to Him. Have you repented of your sins?

-Mark Day

This time of year, the minds of many are occupied with what gifts they will give and receive. Consider what we give to others in how we treat them every day and how the treatment we receive may be influenced by it. Jesus said, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:37-38). We ordinarily will receive reciprocal treatment from others. If I am willing to give others the benefit of the doubt—believing and hoping all things (1 Corinthians 13:7)—then it is much more likely they will give me the benefit of the doubt. If I am severely critical of others, they are more likely to criticize me. Of course, there are some people who will be malicious no matter how well we treat them. Jesus was persecuted to the point of crucifixion, yet no one ever treated others with more love. Our best option then is to follow His example to choose to do good in spite of the evil done to us (Romans 12:14, 17, 20-21). But generally speaking people will respond in kind to the way we treat them.

A common pitfall is to highlight perceived faults in others without considering one’s own errors. Eli saw Hannah silently moving her mouth (1 Samuel 1:13). He thought she was drunk and rebuked her (1 Samuel 1:14). She asked that he not deem her a “daughter of Belial” and explained that she was not drunk, but rather pouring out her soul to the Lord in prayer (1 Samuel 1:15). Meanwhile, Eli’s own sons were wicked; they were “sons of Belial” (1 Samuel 2:12). While he outwardly may have told them to stop, in reality Eli benefited from their wickedness and honored his sons above the Lord (1 Samuel 2:29). He was so quick to surmise that Hannah must be sinning when she wasn’t while he dismissed sin in his own family.

Ahab called Elijah a troubler of Israel (1 Kings 18:17). In reality, it was the sinful idolatry Ahab and Jezebel had introduced in Israel that caused God to send Elijah and other faithful prophets with denouncements and to withhold rain from Israel. If Ahab and Jezebel would have repented of their wickedness, God would have relented of the trouble He was allowing Israel to face.

The Pharisees thought the man born blind was born in sins and had no right to correct them; they threw him out of the synagogue (John 9:34). But the man had not been born in sins; his blindness was not due to sin but rather as an opportunity for God to reveal His work (John 9:3). The Pharisees thought they were so much better than other men, and would brag to God about it (Luke 18:11-12). The blind man believed on Jesus the Son of God, but because the Pharisees were too spiritually blind to see the conclusion to which the miraculous evidence right before them pointed, they rejected Jesus and remained in their sins (John 9:39-41).

So, give mercy to others in the way you interact with others. It may come back to you. Ultimately, God will judge us according to the way we treat others, “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment” (James 2:13; cf. Matthew 5:7).

-Mark Day