On Sunday, September 27, 2015, Pastor Joe Troutman preached “While I AM is Still Near” from John 9:1-7.
The Lord may be found only while he is here on earth. First, he was present in person; now he is present in his Body, the Church.
1. Who Sinned?—The fall of Adam brought the world into a state of sin and misery; therefore, we live with the daily consequences of our corporate sin in Adam in a fallen world.
2. God’s Works on Display—The real purpose of the man’s blindness, was to put the work of God on display. Doing the works of Jesus is the duty of followers, too.
3. As Long as I am in the World—The miraculous signs of Jesus reveal him to be the Creator and the Son of God. Jesus was the Light of the world during his earthly ministry. Since his ascension to the right hand of the Father, his Body, the church illuminates the world. As she does the works of the Father who sent the Lord Jesus into the world, it is sight to the blind, and life to the dead.
Listen to “While I AM is Still Near” (John 9:1-7) at mcopc.org.
Mid-Cities Presbyterian Church Library 
Bezalel and Oholiab (Exodus 35:20-38:8)
This section describes the eagerness of the Israelites to contribute the materials and the work needed to construct the tabernacle. Both men and women “who were of a willing heart,” “whose hearts stirred them,” and “whose heart moved them” brought a freewill offering. The people’s contributions were so great they were asked to cease bringing material! The Lord loves a cheerful giver (2 Co 9:7).
Also the Lord filled Bezalel and Oholiab with the Spirit of God giving them skill, intelligence, and knowledge as craftsmen and with the ability to teach others. In many respects this section anticipates the spiritual gifts given to church members.
Chapter 36 describes Bezalel’s crafting the curtains, frames, pillars, and bases for the tabernacle structure. This section largely duplicates the designs for these items previously given to Moses in Chapter 26.
The remainder of this section describes Bezalel’s crafting the seven items of furniture for the tabernacle: the ark, the mercy seat, the table, the lampstand, the incense altar, the altar of burnt offering, and the basin. Again, this section duplicates the descriptions provided for these items in Chapters 25, 27, and 30.–Chuck Cain
Listen to “Bezalel and Oholiab” (Exodus 35:20-38:8) at mcopc.org.
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