Rivers Baptist Church - Christ alone - and Him crucified

Dear Brothers and Sisters

At our last meeting I presented a financial report that showed a grim picture based on facts. There is a companion message that is somewhat more encouraging and it is based on faith. We read in Exodus:
Exodus 36:2-7
Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work. They received from Moses all the offerings the Israelites had brought to carry out the work of constructing the sanctuary. And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done."
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.

Some things that spoke to me from this passage:

(1) ‘To whom the Lord had given the ability.’ In this and the preceding passages (see Exodus 35 from verse 30) we find that these gifts were ‘supernaturally’ given to meet a need at a point in time. The required arts and crafts skills were not naturally resident but rather supernaturally imparted to meet the then current need. Note also that the need was defined by God’s plan and purpose at that time. We can be confident that God will provide so that His plans and purposes might prevail for He is the Lord.

(2) ‘And who was willing to come.’ The familiar pattern of scripture appears again — inescapable. Our God is a God of initiative but we must respond. He died so we might live. He loved first the unlovable so that we might then love Him. He invites and, if we are willing, we come. ‘If you are willing’ Jesus said so many times. When the time comes and God calls, I encourage you to be willing and step forward into His plan. Listen for His voice and wait for His call.

(3) ‘What they already had was more than enough to do all the work.’ When I spoke at the last meeting I spoke of lack. I talked of budget shortfalls and how we would have to let some things go. But I also believe that we already have ‘more than enough’. Not ‘just enough’ but actually ‘more than enough’ and to do ‘all the work’. Not just some of the work, but ‘all of the work’. When Jesus sent the Twelve out to preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick he told them, ‘Take nothing for the journey — no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic’. Why did Jesus say this — could it be that He was asking them to rely on God and not on their own resources? I believe that when we feel like we are the poorest, we will in fact be richer than ever. We will turn to Jesus as the supplier of all our needs and truly then we will have ‘more than enough’.

God Bless,
Gary