©2006/2007 Building God's Kingdom Together, Inc.

Text Box: God taught the Israelites that blood was the only source for atonement. For this reason, they were never to eat or consume any blood. This was a wonderful foreshadowing of the redemptive plan of God. The Lamb, Jesus Christ, was to pay the price for our sins by shedding His own blood, so that we might have an everlasting atonement. So the fellowship offering could be presented at any time and any number of times to signify the gratitude and love one had for God. Maybe we all should consider making the fellowship offering, without the animal but by other means, a regular part of our worship. We could express to Him our love and gratitude by an offering of praise to Him or by acts of service to others in His name. Consider how you might be able to do this! In His arms, Text Box: The fellowship offering, also known as the peace offering, was an optional offering. It signified the relationship between the one bringing the offering and God. It was a confirmation of the covenant of love with God that one had embraced. The directions for this offering, found in Leviticus Chapter 3, have some similarities with the burnt offering. For example, the offering bringer was the one to slaughter the animal, after having first laid his hand on the head of the sacrifice. The priest was to handle the blood, sprinkling it on all sides of the altar. A distinction of the fellowship offering from the burnt offering was what was actually burnt on the altar. In the burnt offering, the entire animal was burnt on the altar, with the exception of the crop and feathers if it were a bird. The fellowship offering directive was to burn all the fat. Specifically, the instruction was to burn all the fat that covered the inner parts or is connected to them, including both the kidneys with the fat on them near the loins and the fat covering the liver. The remainder of the animal was to be eaten by the bringer of the offering with a couple of exceptions. The breast was to be given to the sons of Aaron and the right thigh was to go to the priest who administered the sacrifice. Text Box: Like the other offerings, the Lord gave options for what type of sacrifice was acceptable. The sacrifice could be a male or female without defect from the herd, a lamb, or a goat. This latitude, again, gave options so that even the poorest could participate. God insisted that all the fat be burned. In verse 16 God declared that the fat was His. Fat was identified as the bounty of God’s provision, the prosperity that was a blessing from Him. It was a bounty that would ensure supply in the future, as well. By giving the fat back to the Lord the offering bringer was signifying their faith in the future provision of God for them. The instructions concluded with a commandment not to eat fat or blood. The fat was clearly identified as belonging to God. The blood was symbolic of life, which was reserved for God Himself to control. For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. Leviticus 17:11

         The Fellowship Offering

                                by Pastor Dave Bassett
Text Box: Building God’s    Kingdom Together

November 9,  2007

November, 2007 — Issue #1

Building God’s Kingdom Newsletter

Special points of interest:

· The Fellowship Offering

         by Pastor Dave Bassett

· All or Nothing...

         by Judy Bassett

· There’s No Place Like Home

         by Pastor Dave Bassett

 

Rev. Dave Bassett is the pastor of Rosewood Lane Church of the Nazarene.  Click the link to see the church’s website at
 http://www.nazarene.ch/RosewoodLane
for info on the Rosewood Lane Church in Layton, Utah.  We would love to have you visit our church!

All or Nothing…

by Judy Bassett

Earlier this week, I was told that I was an “all or nothing” type of person.   I had to think long and hard about that.  It was not meant to be a complement.  In fact, it was meant to show me how tough I am on other people.  The truth of the matter is, that I am a person that pushes myself pretty hard.  When other people work with me, they feel that I am too tough on them and that I push them too hard also. 

However, after thinking about the “all or nothing” statement for a while, I came to realize that it’s not necessarily a bad thing.  Isn’t that what God wants from us?

All or nothing!!

In the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, Jesus talks about putting what He gives us to good use and multiplying it. Doing our best with what He gives us.   To the servants that he gave 2 talents, and 5 talents, they doubled the amounts.  Jesus response to them in verse 21, and again in verse 23 was:

 

 

 

 

'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

I definitely want to work hard at everything that I do for Christ.  In fact, everything that I do in this world, is for Christ!  Therefore, I should try to do my best at everything that I do.

In Rev. 3:15-16 it says

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

I certainly don’t want to be a lukewarm Christian!  I want to give all of my life to Christ.  I want to live my life so that no one can accuse me of anything short of giving it my all!  All or nothing...

As we travel, we often listen to books on tape.  In our recent travels we listened to a book by Randy Alcorn, entitled “Safely Home”.  

 

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