Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14, ESV
We have been given the peace of Christ to share with the world, as well a the holiness of Christ that hands us eternal life.
“give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
Luke 6:38, ESV
Through Christ, God has given us mercy, grace, forgiveness, love, and all that we need. We ought to be praying this along.
Likewise, it can encourage others to do the same and even lead others to Christ.
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ
Philippians 1:9-10, ESV
Our love for God should grow, leading to a love for His unadulterated Word and for people to know and live according to that love and Word.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Colossians 3:1, ESV
It is not enough to call yourself Christian. If you are not seeking Christ and His Kingdom (and sharing the truth of the Gospel) you are in danger of showing you are not a Christian.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
James 1:22-24, ESV
Merely listening to biblical teachings
(and talking about being a Christian) and never obeying or acting out the teachings is like having amnesia or being an actor.
Don’t play a part. Obey and love.
This past Fall, these conversations happened fairly regularly as I taught the Youth about God’s attributes. As we now make our way through The 7 C’s of History, I also add how we see God’s grace in each “C” (e.g. God’s Independence and Trinitarian nature means He did not need to Create anything or anyone.)
It is a very good idea to keep each other thinking about God’s attributes and how that affects our understanding of Him, our world, and our Christian walk.Daniel
For this Sunday here’s what you can do: Talk to someone about God’s Omnipresence.
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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Proverbs 9:10, ESV
Knowing our Creator and His wrath against sin leads us to understanding this world and our need for His forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ.
And you may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting.
Numbers 18:31, ESV
Ministers receive their portion of the offering as a gift from the Lord.
Likewise, we take the Gospel with us, that we partake in Christ’s inheritance by His sacrifice, and we share it with all who will receive it.
And your contribution shall be counted to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress.
Numbers 18:27, ESV
Ministers receive the tenth from the people and then also tithe, but God sees the minister’s tithe as it’s own separate offering.
This, too, is a shadow of Christ’s substitionary sacrifice, that He offered Himself in our place but it is seen as our own peace offering before God.
His sacrifice, our reward.
“Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe.”
Numbers 18:26, ESV
God provides for ministers through His people, and the ministers still make offerings to God from that.
As Christians, we are all ministers called to support each other and help spread the Gospel.
(And when possible, have a paid, trained pastor.)
