Lessons from the Desert Kingdom

I hope to spend some time today to learn some valuable lessons from the Desert Kingdom of Israelites.

This message is a study of the desert journey of Israelites from Egypt to Canaan.

The intention of this short study is not to present any fresh interpretations to the desert life.

We are just re-reading the history with an intention to learn some lessons from them.

We believe that the Desert Kingdom offers some valuable lessons to those who live in the Inaugurated Kingdom of God of the New Testament.

Kingdom of God

Kingdom of God is a real Kingdom that will be established on the new earth.

There was truly a Kingdom established on earth with Adam and Eve as its caretakers.

But humans fell from the Grace of God by sin and lost the Kingdom.

Restoration of the Kingdom is the whole story of the Bible.

Predestination

The topic for this discussion is “Predestination”.

Predestination is a theological doctrine that has been discussed by great theologians for centuries.

Our intention here is not to present fresh arguments.

This is only a short message presenting the doctrine of “Predestination” in simple and lucid way for laymen and beginners.

Predestination, in theology, is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God, usually with reference to the eventual fate of the individual soul.

Predestination is truly a Biblical doctrine.

The term “predestined” is found four times in two of Paul's epistles.

Why I give tithe?

This message is autobiographical as well as theological.

This is a simple explanation to ‘why I give tithe?’

Every viewer or listener of this video or audio is free to choose to give or not to give tithe.

But I request you to lend me few minutes to explain why I tithe.

I started to give tithe in 1978 and continued to give tithe except for a short break of five or six years when I had no income.

It was never questioned by the Church or Pastors before.

But these days, I read and listen to many materials that dismisses tithe, calling it Old Testament legalism.

I am open to all different opinions and so I have gone through their teachings against tithing.

So far I found no solid argument against tithe.

Naked and Ashamed

Since no coverings made by man can hid our sins before God, it is more truthful to stand naked and ashamed of our sin before God.

Let God cover our sins with the sacrificial blood.

This is the core of the discussion that follows.

In Genesis Chapter 3, we read:

Genesis 3:9-11

9     Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"

10   So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."

11   And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"   (NKJV)

Kingdom Values

The Gospel of Jesus was never intended to be something that only affected life after death.

His message of good news is for the life in this world and the life in the eternity.

The Gospel is about the eternal relationship of human with God that begins right now in this world itself.

Relationship with God

Relationships are based on what you have in common with another person.

To find out what we have common with another, we must understand what the other person values in his life.

A person is the sum total of the values he keeps in his life.

Depending on an agreement and unity with the other, the relationship deepens.

That means, a deeper and meaningful relationship between two persons depends on what they hold in common as important and valuable.