Offering!

For Tuesday, March 18, 2025:

Leviticus 22:18b, 19a, 20 NLT: The Lord instructed Moses, “If someone presents a gift as a burnt offering to the Lord, whether it is to fulfill a vow or is a voluntary offering, they will be accepted only if the offering is a male animal with no defects. Do not present an animal with defects, because the Lord will not accept it on your behalf.”

The Lord, being God, deserves nothing but the best. We should treat God better than anyone else. It means nothing to sacrifice an animal with one foot already in the grave. Therefore we offer the Lord our finest. He should get our first fruits, not our leftovers.

God admits that he can tend to be jealous. He doesn’t want mankind giving someone or something else credit for his goodness and generosity.

Nowadays we don’t sacrifice animals, but we are called to support our home church. A tithe, 10%, is a good starting place. But at the New Testament church, people would often give sacrificially. They would sell livestock or real estate and donate the proceeds to the church. Don’t lie about doing that. (See Acts ch. 5.) Loving our Lord, we should give joyfully, not begrudgingly.

It’s often said that loving Jesus is a “relationship.” Being a member of the Holy Family should put a smile on your face and joy in your heart!

Pastor Norton Lawellin
Jesus In the City Fellowship