We have already seen this week that the early Christians were great givers, specifically in the realm of benevolence. Luke wrote, “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:44-45). Luke reveals […]
Sadly, not all the examples of giving in the Bible are good ones. The unfortunate actions of Ananias and Sapphira, recorded in Acts 5, remind us that the mere act of giving is not enough. Acts 5:1-4 (ESV) 1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and […]
No one gave the way Jesus did. He gave more to others than anyone else who was ever adorned a flesh and blood body. You can imagine how hard it would be to impress Him by your giving. A poor widow was unknowingly able to do this. Luke 21:1-4 (ESV) 1 Jesus looked up and […]
There is more to giving than just our money. Giving financially is important. How would the church accomplish her work if Christians were not willing to give of their means? Remember, the financial needs of the church are met by the freewill offering of the saints. Paul said, “Each one must give as he has […]
Christianity is about giving. It came about because God was willing to give His only begotten Son (John 3:16). Jesus, to fulfill God’s scheme of redemption, was willing to give His life on the cross (Hebrews 12:2). The giving of Christ, however, began long before the cross. In an attempt to encourage Christians to give, […]
We began the week emphasizing the preciousness of the poverty of Christ. Jesus gave up heaven and was made poor by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:7). He did that so that we might be rich by inheriting the kingdom of God. The Hebrews writer gives […]
The resurrection of Christ was the central theme of apostolic preaching. Philippians 3:10 (KJV) 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; In the verse above, Paul wrote of the power of his resurrection. But the resurrection was not […]
The word precious refers to that which is valuable or even priceless. There is nothing more precious than the blood of Christ. 1 Peter 1:18-19 (ESV) 18 Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood […]
It is sad to think about all the people who have rejected Jesus. The reality is Jesus has been a rejected man from the beginning. This is no real surprise because Isaiah prophesied about it (Isaiah 53:3). John referred to this rejection too (John 1:10-11). Fortunately, not all have rejected Jesus. Some have believed in […]
In Isaiah 28:16, in what is one of the great messianic prophecies, our Lord is referred to as a precious cornerstone. The truth is everything about Jesus is precious. For the next five nights, I want us to look at some of the precious things about Jesus. Let us begin by considering the precious poverty […]