God gives through Moses the first stewardship “sermon”. God commands that everyone who is WILLING is to bring an offering to the Lord. So everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him gave to the Lord. These are free will offerings and are different from the tithe which comes later.

Then Moses summoned every skilled worker (with God-given abilities) and who was WILLING to come and do the work.  These abilities could be compared to our God-given spiritual gifts.  At the moment of acceptance of Jesus as personal Lord and Savior the Holy Spirit empowers that person with at least one spiritual gift.  And just as God was looking for willing workers to to work at the tabernacle then, He is looking for willing workers to use those spiritual gifts now. If you would like a copy of the inventory to discover what your spiritual gifts are, email us.

As you read about the intricate details of the furnishings in the tabernacle, take notice.  This could be done only if the people had been given the ability by God.  The value of the materials used was almost unfathomable.  The gold weighed a little over a ton and the silver weighed a little over 3 3/4 tons.  In today's money that would be about $40 million for the gold and nearly $3 million for the silver (If I'm reading the price per ounce correctly and multiplying correctly.)  At any rate, that's a lot of precious metals that were donated to the tabernacle!

The people were bringing offerings above and beyond what was needed, so much so that the people had to be restrained from bringing more. This happened because their hearts were moved and they gave for all the right reasons.
(Email us for a copy of A Biblical View of Stewardship)

Notice the attention to even the minutest detail, such careful attention to accuracy in the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle. Can you even begin to imagine the beauty?

All this is just a foretaste of the heavenly beauty that awaits us in eternity.

The New Jerusalem – A New Heaven and a New Earth

Imagine this!  The Holy City, the New Jerusalem, is our eternal home, the new heaven and the new earth.

The Holy City will sit on a great high mountain, shinning brilliantly with the glory of God as it towers above us.  We will gaze in awe at this majesty. The high, thick wall will be made of jasper and it will sit on twelve foundations.  The foundations will be decorated with every kind of precious stone in every color and hue imaginable, a full spectrum of color gleaming from the jewels, like a magnificent rainbow.  The city will have twelve gates each made of a single pearl with twelve angels at the gates; all of them open all the time. 

Gold will be abundant in the New Jerusalem. The streets of the city will be pure gold like transparent glass, so pure that light will pass through it and be reflected by it. 

A river, clear as crystal, of sparkling beauty and clarity, the purest water ever, the water of life will stream through the city. It will begin at the throne of God and will flow forever through the streets of the Holy City. On each side of the river will be the tree of life that will bear fruit each month. 

No temple will be there.  God the Father and God the Son will be the temple. There will be no sun or moon because the glory of God will be the light.  God, the Father, surrounded by unapproachable light, will be on this throne in the middle of the New Jerusalem. Only those whose names are written in the lamb’s book of life will enter there.  We as believers will enter there because we have His name written on our foreheads.  This unapproachable light will then be approachable because we will be able to see His face and we will worship, praise and serve Him forever as we take up residence in the new heaven. What a glorious day that will be!