We Have All We Need

Moses said to the whole Israelite community, "This is what the LORD has commanded: From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering of gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. ~ Exodus 35:4-9


Before this passage the Lord commands Moses to build a tabernacle. He is very specific on what is to go into the temple and what materials are to be used for each of those items. This would have seemed an impossible task had Moses been asked to gather all of these items on his own. But he wasn’t! The “whole Israelite community” was asked to give as they were “willing.” I believe this is a picture of how the church should be functioning today. We have pastors and leaders, much like Moses, whom God speaks vision into, but on their own they cannot provide all the materials to see that vision come to fruition. It then comes to the “whole Israelite community,” or the other members of the church, to step forward and give as they are willing in order to see God’s vision brought to life.

Notice that they give as they are “willing.” God will not force anyone to serve or to give. The decision is ours. I believe there are many in the church who are afraid to give. They are afraid to give financially because things are tight and perhaps they have to choose between paying a bill and giving to the church. They are afraid to give of their time because perhaps they don’t have much of it and what they do have they feel they need for other activities. Whatever the excuse, it prevents us from acting out of what our heart is leading us to do.

I challenge you - if your heart is moved to act, do so. Don’t worry about whether or not you believe you can manage to give what it is God is asking of you. When you step out in faith He rewards you. Look at Abraham and Isaac. Abraham was willing to make a seemingly impossible sacrifice, his son, but through Abraham’s faithfulness God was able to prove Himself a faithful provider. Abraham came to the altar prepared to give up that which he had waited years to receive because that is what God told him to do. When Abraham showed himself willing, God provided a ram and saved his son.

Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. ~ Genesis 22:8

Abraham knew that God would provide. If he did not know that his God was faithful he could not have carried out what was asked of him. But Abraham had faith that God knew what He was doing and would provide what was needed. And look what he received because of his faith and obedience:

[The angel of the Lord] said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." ~ Genesis 22:7-8

God will reward your obedience, but you have to believe He is faithful. If you do not believe that God will provide what you need it will be very difficult for you to give as you feel led. It will seem like God is asking for things beyond what you are capable of giving. Truth is - He very well might be doing that. But if you were always capable of giving out of your own ability, you wouldn’t need faith. You wouldn’t need to trust Him.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. ~ Hebrews 10:23

I believe that if we, the church, began to give as God leads us, knowing that He will provide all that we need, we would see an overflow of supplies as they encountered while building the temple:

Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: "No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary." And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work. ~ Exodus 36:6-7

When people started acting out of what their hearts told them they ended up providing above and beyond what was needed to build the temple! Just think, if the body of Christ stepped out in obedience our churches would be overflowing with outreaches and ministries, displaying the abundance of God’s graciousness! What a testimony that would be!

Power of Words

. . . For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. ~ Matthew 12:34b


There is no doubt in my mind or in scripture that words have power. From the very beginning we see this to be true. All through the story of Creation we see the words “and God said.” After each of these occurrences we see what He brought into being with just His words. It is no wonder then that words continue to have power. Look at the life of Jesus:

The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” . . . Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour. ~ Matthew 8:8, 13

This is just one example of a time when Jesus healed simply with His words. Later on in verse 16 it says that He drove out demons “with a word.” I believe too often we as Christians live under the saying or mindset that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Certainly this is a mindset found throughout the world, but honestly, we should know better! We forget the many warnings we are given throughout scripture to remind us that our words are powerful. Don’t think your words have power?

The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. ~ Proverbs 15:4

Your “tongue” can heal or it can crush. What have you been doing? I believe many people don’t intend to “crush the spirit,” but they don’t heed their words enough to prevent it from happening. They have no rein on their tongue (James 1:26). But look at Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. ~ Matthew 12:37

You may not intend to say something that brings another down, but even your “careless words” can hurt. Your words are important. Some people believe that their words couldn’t possibly have that much sway on another person, but this is false thinking. Don’t think people don’t hear the words you say to them, whether they be words to encourage or words to tear down. Either way your words are noted and you will give an account for them. Isn’t it encouraging that we are also given some pointers on how to prevent these careless words! Here is just one wise piece of advice:

The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil. ~ Proverbs 15:28

Think about what you say before you say it! The righteous man “weighs” his answers; he considers what he will say before he says it while a “wicked” man “gushes” evil. The wicked lets flow out of his mouth whatever thought enters his mind with no consideration of how it will affect those around him.

Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed. ~ Proverbs 11:11

Your actions affect those around you. You can either be a blessing or bring destruction. The choice is yours.  Don't consider this as a warning simply against speaking in a way that might "destroy," instead consider it an opportunity to bring blessings to those around you simply by speaking truth and love. 

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11

In the World, Not of it

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. ~ John 17:15


I’m in the process of returning to college for graduate studies. While trying to fill out all the necessary paperwork for financial aid I hit a lot of road blocks. In order to get any scholarships or grants from my university I had to show that I was looking for outside scholarships. This seemed reasonable. They want to make sure the students are not relying solely on the university to pay for tuition. The problem came when I couldn’t find any outside funding sources! I looked everywhere, but couldn’t come up with anything I was eligible for. To be perfectly honest I started panicking! If I couldn’t find outside sources I also couldn’t get funding from the university.

At a church service during this time God spoke to me about my anxiety and how I was to be handling this trial. I wanted to share these thoughts with you:

As children of God we are called to be different. I’ve heard the phrase many times – “We are in the world, but not of the world.” For the time being we are called to walk on this earth, but it is not home. Just because we are around people of the world, we are not called to act and become people of the world. We have been set apart. There are many ways that we are called to be different, but there are three I want to look at:

1. We don’t war as the world wars.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ~ 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

In Judges 7 we see Gideon fighting an army with only 300 warriors who are told not even to bring a sword to battle. In Joshua 6 we see the walls of Jericho coming down because the children of God walked around them! The way we approach “battles” in our lives will not be the same as those in the world. When I couldn’t find outside funding to put on my applications for the school scholarships I could panic and worry incessantly about not being able to get the money I needed, but I know that my God provides. Both Gideon and Joshua, along with MANY others, show that although God does not always call us to fight in “conventional” ways or ways the world would accept, He always comes through. We may look foolish to those around us by what we do, but:

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:18

It’s ok to look foolish to the world. They couldn’t understand our motives because they do not understand the power of our God!

2. We don’t see as the world sees.

Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? ~ James 2:5

The world sees only the physical, material possessions, but we know there is so much more than that. Look at the woman with the two mites in Luke 21. She was very poor, but offered everything she had at the temple. Jesus says, “All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” What faith! The world would look at her actions and say that she was foolish and careless with her money. She knew, however, that offering what she had was the best thing she could do. She had faith enough to know that God would provide for her when she put him first

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. ~ Matthew 6:33

3. We do not obey as the world obeys.

This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ~ 1 John 5:3-4

Has God ever told you to do something you thought was unwise? Perhaps you didn’t understand why He was telling you to approach a situation in a certain way. Think of Peter in Matthew 14 when Jesus tells him to step out of the boat and walk towards Him on the water. To obey that command seemed crazy! But in the same verse where Jesus tells Peter to come, we are told Peter walked towards Jesus on the water! Peter only began to sink when he took his eyes off of Jesus and focused too much on the wind and waves around him. When we step out in obedience with our full focus on Jesus, He will help us fulfill what He has started.

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 1:6

He is not going to start something in you, command you to do something, and then leave you hanging. He will complete what He begins.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ~ Hebrews 12:2

Praising at Midnight

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ~ Acts 16:25

How you react to difficult times can be an awesome witness to people around you. In the passage in Acts 16 Paul and Silas were severely flogged before being chained in an “inner cell” in the prison for casting out a demon in a woman. They were obeying what God asked them to do, but still faced this terrible ordeal of being beaten and imprisoned. If anyone had a right to be grumpy or upset, it was them. Notice, however, what they chose to do. They “were praying and singing hymns to God!” They knew that even in this God was in control and that they had obeyed Him. The best part of this verse though is the second half – “other prisoners were listening to them!” Other people are going to watch your reaction as you go through these things. Can you imagine the testimony and witness we would have if we chose to praise God even in the midst of our darkest hour? They were doing this at midnight, a time of day when there is no light from the sun - literally their darkest hour!

How you react to the hard times is made up of choices. You can choose whether you will remain bitter and upset about your situation or if you will praise God in the midst of it all and be a walking testimony of God’s faithfulness. Don’t believe that it is out of your control what you do. As my pastor has said many times, “Your feelings are meant to be felt, not lead you.”

Paul and Silas chose to praise Him and the next verse shows what God can do when you praise and trust Him:

Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. ~ Acts 16:26

Consider these:

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you! ~ Psalm 42:5a


This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ~ Jeremiah 29:10-13


I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.” ~ Lamentations 3:19-24


You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ~ 1 John 4:4

Choices, Choices

As they sailed, [Jesus] fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. ~ Luke 8:23


Have you ever faced a difficult situation? Even as I write that question it seems like such a silly thing to ask. Everyone has faced a situation at some point in their life that was hard. A time where it seemed like you were sitting in the darkness, wondering if the sun would come up again. This becomes especially hard when this difficult situation is a result of something God has asked you to do:

One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him." ~ Luke 8:22-25

I love this passage. It is such a wonderful reminder to me that God knows what He’s doing. You see Jesus made the decision to get in a boat and cross the lake. He asked His disciples to follow Him and they obediently began the journey with Him. God knew that storm was going to come while they were on the water. He also knew how the disciples would respond – in a panic! In our walk with Him, the sea is not always calm. Even as we obey Him we will face storms. Some of these storms will be strong enough that we start to question whether we’re going to make it or if we’re going to drown. In those moments we have a decision to make. We can continue to panic and lose ourselves in the feelings of hopelessness, attempting to accept a fate we believe is inevitable or we can choose to act as the disciples did. Although they were panicked, they recognized that if anyone could get them out of this it would be Jesus. As soon as they woke Him and explained what was happening, He calmed the storm. How often do you “wake Jesus” believing that He can fix your situation?

It’s also important, I believe, to recognize the reason for the storm. The storm didn’t come up just to scare the disciples or give Jesus a reason to show off. The storm came to give the disciples a new revelation of who Jesus was. It was meant to strengthen their faith and teach them to trust Him more fully. I believe many of the storms in our own lives are there for the same reason. When we go through tough times and choose to believe God is still in control, God does amazing things. He shows us that He is fully capable of calming the storm. Oftentimes as I face situations where my first reaction is to panic or get upset. As soon as I realize what I’m doing and take a moment to bring this concern to God in prayer and really seek His guidance in it, He provides in ways that I would never have imagined. And many times also, I look at my initial reaction later and can’t help but think, “Where was your faith?” My God has provided before and He will provide again.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. ~ Hebrews 11:1