This is the spirit that I’ve been sensing.  Being here and being around everybody that is here with willing hearts and enjoying the Lord and enjoying one another, and I just want to thank God for that spirit that we’ve been experiencing; amen?  That it’s being done for God, by God, by Him working in us and bringing about this willingness.  The mandate was, Chapter 25, verse 8, “let them make me a sanctuary.”  We’ve been here, and I think we’ve been good stewards.  How many of you think we’ve gotten good use out of these chairs?  Thirty years, is it?  They’re still just as sturdy.  If you guys didn’t have such grungy hands—look at the tops of the chairs; that’s almost the only thing that’s wrong with them.  These next chairs we’re getting should last longer than that.  So, when your great great-grandchildren—O Lord, come quickly!  But I think just a thankfulness for all who gave and contributed for these chairs, for this carpet, for where we are.  We give God all the glory and thank Him for being the One, as we saw earlier, He put it into their hearts, praise God!

Father, we thank You tonight for Your Word and for Your love for us.  We ask that we would be stirred in our own hearts.  And the faithfulness that You’ve manifested here in our midst—we thank You for it, Father.  We pray for those that are struggling with their own flesh and different areas, Father.  We all have our battles, and yet, it’s time to die.  It’s time for each and every one of us to realize that an investment in the kingdom will go much further for us in the heart of God than any other investment, because there’s a day coming when all of the natural resources will take wings and fly away, and a man’s righteousness will sustain him.

Father, you note—it’s so interesting to us, Father—the day that Jesus sat and spent a good part of the day doing nothing but watch people give offerings.  Then He finished the day with this assessment: that little lady right over there gave more than everybody else put together.  Everybody gave from their abundance, but she gave from her necessity.  Our God is very conscious and oversees and brings blessing upon those who care for the widows and the orphans.  If we had further time, we could show that it’s every one of these offerings, as we read carefully; You remind us that along with our offerings comes Your watchfulness and Your blessings, Your oversight in our lives.  And we give You all the glory and all of the honor for that, Father, in Jesus’ name.  Arise and build, praise God.