Willing And Joyful

Coral Ridge Ministries

Willing And Joyful

Exodus 36:6–7

October 22, 2023

“… And the people were restrained from bringing [any more], for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much.”
— Exodus 36:6–7

Some people complain when pastors bring up the issue of money. They seem to forget that churches need money to expand. On the other hand, have you ever heard any pastor say, “Look, folks, we appreciate your generosity, but we already have too much?” I doubt it, but that actually happened one time with Moses and the Israelites.

The Israelites had come together to build the first sanctuary for the true and living God. The Bible tells us that Moses called all the children of Israel together, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord commanded.” He wanted all of the congregation to participate in the offering for and the building of the tabernacle. Moses commanded them, “Take from among you an offering to the Lord.” Who should participate? “Whoever is of a willing heart.” God didn’t compel or pressure anyone to give. Instead, God in effect said, “If your heart leads you to do this, then do it.”

God had provided for all the Israelites’ needs and given His Ten Commandments; now the Israelites rejoiced in bringing their gifts. We read, “Everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering for the work.” They brought gold and silver and brass. These people had no home of their own and no certain future, but they trusted in the Lord, giving willingly and joyfully. In fact, so many came forward with gifts that Moses had to command them to stop.

I wish that could be the case more often in churches today. I believe that God blesses those who give to His work; we miss that blessing when we withhold. We should give willingly and joyfully … as Chuck Swindoll likes to remind us, “God loves a hilarious giver.”

QUOTE:
“Most need a goad to quicken their charity. Few need a bridle to check it.”
— Matthew Henry

Luther's Quest For God

October 31, 2023

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” — Romans 1:17 While our culture sets this day aside as Halloween, I think a much more fitting event to celebrate happened on this day in 1517—the Reformation of the Church, when Martin Luther, a humble monk, made public ninety-five reasons the Church needed to reform. Luther knew how desperately the world and the Church needed to know we could gain grace only through faith. He dedicated his life to discovering and preaching this truth. Luther was born November 10, 1483, into a poor family of German woodcutters. Realizing that their son was gifted, Luther’s parents scrimped and saved to send him to the university, where he studied law. Returning home from school on foot, he and a friend were caught in a thunderstorm and his friend was struck by lightning and killed. This terrified Luther and he vowed to enter a monastery so he could search for God. One question plagued him without ceasing: How could he, a sinful man, ever become pure enough to stand in the awesome presence of a holy God who was an all-consuming fire? Luther spent years trying every way he knew to purify his soul. He spent hours each day confessing his sins. He beat himself with a whip until he became bloody and unconscious. He prayed for six weeks, fasted, and slept very little. He stayed out all night long, naked, in the deep snows of Germany. But one day the Lord spoke to him through the Scriptures, specifically Romans 1:17: “The just shall live by faith.” Suddenly Luther saw the Gospel. He discovered God’s grace. He realized that only those justified by faith in Christ’s blood will live and those who seek to justify themselves in any other way shall not live. Luther spent the rest of his life promoting and defending this truth. Even when he was on trial, faced with being burned at the stake, he clung fiercely to it. Justification by faith is still our great hope and joy. QUOTE: “Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me! Amen!” — Martin Luther

To Win The Warfare Within

October 30, 2023

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” — John 3:6 When we become born again, we inherit a spiritual battle. Our old nature wars against our new one. Dr. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade used to tell a story that described these old and new natures as two dogs: a black dog and a white dog that were wont to fight viciously. Dr. Bright said, “Which dog will win is determined by which dog you feed. Feed the black dog and starve the white dog, and the black dog will win; feed the white dog and starve the black dog, and the white dog will win.” Which nature are you feeding? Much in our culture feeds the “black dog.” We feed our sin-filled natures often—not always, but often—when we turn on the television set; go to a movie; read a newspaper, magazine, or novel; or listen to modern music. But we have a bountiful feast with which to feed the “white dog”—God’s Word. As we read Scripture, God prepares us for the spiritual warfare we face. To be strong warriors for Christ, we need to dwell less on things of the flesh and instead delve into the Bible. We need to write God’s Word on the slates of our minds and the tablets of our hearts. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” We can also feed our new nature by spending quiet time with God, especially by praying for forgiveness, guidance, and counsel. If we are ever to win the warfare within, we need to engage evil with God as our guide. Do you need to reevaluate your spiritual “diet?” Choose to feast on God’s Word and on time spent with Him. Do so, and you’ll gain all the strength you need for the battles ahead. QUOTE: “Two natures beat within my breast. The one is foul, the other blest. The one I love, the other I hate. The one I feed will dominate.” — Anonymous

The Warfare Within

October 29, 2023

“For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” — Romans 7:19 Have you ever felt the aggravation of doing the very sin you wanted to avoid? Or of not doing a good work you had intended to do? Why do we find ourselves in this bind on such a consistent basis? When we hand our lives to Jesus, He gives us a new nature that is spotless and clean, incapable of sinning. But as fallen people we also carry within us a nature capable of vile and hideous deeds. And herein lies the battle. Our regeneration sets up a dichotomy of the new and old natures, and when the Spirit of God dwells in our hearts, we recognize just how wretched we truly are. Only when Paul identified his God-given nature was he able to comprehend his captivity, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me?” St. Augustine, poignantly aware of his sinfulness, wrote, “By these links, as it were, a chain was I held, shackled with a hard bondage. So these my two wills—the one old, the other new; the one carnal, the other spiritual—contended together, and by their discord disturbed my soul.” Does your soul cry out for deliverance from your sinful nature? Then nurture your new nature. Read God’s Word daily, and spend quiet time with the Lord. My friend, I urge you to act on God’s directive: “Be still, and know that I am God.” If you want your new nature to conquer the old, you must allow Him to feed your soul. And no matter how tough the battles get, always remember that on the cross Jesus Christ won the war—once and for all. QUOTE: “I make it a rule of Christian duty never to go to a place where there is not room for my Master as well as myself.” — John Newton (Author Of “Amazing Grace”)