In 2 Corinthians 8-9, Paul writes about an offering for persecuted believers in Jerusalem. Paul describes the faithful stewardship of the Philippians, giving us a masterpiece on the subject of Biblical stewardship. God accepts our gifts, not based on how large they arethe Philippians gave generously even in their povertybut on the attitude with which we give it. Our motivations should be love and gratitude, joyfully giving back to God a portion of what He has given us.
Reconciliation is a major theme in the Bible; reconciled to God, and reconciled to each other. Genesis 4 helps us discover causes of conflict and some solutions. Cain and Abel both brought sacrifices to God. Cains heart toward God was not right, therefore his offering was unacceptable. Cain became angry and depressed, and killed his brother. Learn Gods foolproof solution that still works for those who are angry and depressed.
In the Gospels we discover that Jesus was a Man with mission, a threefold ministry. Jesus expressed this threefold ministry in John 14:6: I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. The Gospels tell of His teachingthe Truth, His mighty works, miracles, healings and deliverancethe Life, and of redemptionJesus death and resurrection, and how His sacrifice saves us from our sinthe Way.
When God intersected human history and became a man, He invited certain people to participate in the miracle: Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth, a girl named Mary, and shepherds who went to see the newborn King. The miracle of Christmas is God becoming man so He could bring salvation to mankind. The Old and New Testaments tell of the miracle of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ: the blessed hope of the Church and the only hope of the world.