Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

When a home structure is built and “in the dry” there is still much more to do as you move and settle in.  All your belongings are unpacked and sorted as they are placed in appropriate places for ease of use.  Landscaping, if not included in the contract with the builder, must be done before winter.  We meet our neighbors and hope for good relationships with them. We fortify our surroundings in ways that protect our property. Sometimes a fence is erected to keep pets in and unwanted animals out. So, we discover the work to be endless as we move in and our lives take on new activities.

So it is with King Solomon. He doesn’t take a holiday when the Temple was finally complete along with his own home!  Solomon built Israel into a wealthy and powerful nation. Neighboring rulers came to visit him and sought to learn from his great wisdom.  This passage introduces the beginning of his work to rebuild and restore all the surrounding towns for the protection of Israel.

2 Chronicles 8

Solomon’s Other Activities

At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built the temple of the Lord and his own palace, ² Solomon rebuilt the villages that Hiram had given him, and settled Israelites in them. ³ Solomon then went to Hamath Zobah and captured it. ⁴ He also built up Tadmor in the desert and all the store cities he had built in Hamath. ⁵ He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon as fortified cities, with walls and with gates and bars, ⁶ as well as Baalath and all his store cities, and all the cities for his chariots and for his horses—whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled.

⁷ There were still people left from the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites (these people were not Israelites). ⁸ Solomon conscripted the descendants of all these people remaining in the land—whom the Israelites had not destroyed—to serve as slave labor, as it is to this day. ⁹ But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites for his work; they were his fighting men, commanders of his captains, and commanders of his chariots and charioteers. ¹⁰ They were also King Solomon’s chief officials—two hundred and fifty officials supervising the men.

¹¹ Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her, for he said, “My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the Lord has entered are holy.”

¹² On the altar of the Lord that he had built in front of the portico, Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord, ¹³ according to the daily requirement for offerings commanded by Moses for the Sabbaths, the New Moons and the three annual festivals—the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. ¹⁴ In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their duties, and the Levites to lead the praise and to assist the priests according to each day’s requirement. He also appointed the gatekeepers by divisions for the various gates, because this was what David the man of God had ordered. ¹⁵ They did not deviate from the king’s commands to the priests or to the Levites in any matter, including that of the treasuries.

¹⁶ All Solomon’s work was carried out, from the day the foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid until its completion. So the temple of the Lord was finished.

¹⁷ Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom. ¹⁸ And Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own men, sailors who knew the sea. These, with Solomon’s men, sailed to Ophir and brought back four hundred and fifty talents of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

King Solomon was great in wisdom—because he asked God for it and God gave it willingly.  However, we will soon learn that God’s gifts of wisdom and great wealth will seem meaningless to him after Solomon marries pagan women who are ungodly worshipers of idols and help to turn the king’s heart for God to everything but God. 

When Solomon’s heart was following God’s leading—all was well and good and done for the glory of God.  When Solomon’s heart turned from pleasing God and obeying all His commands to pleasing his pagan wives instead who followed evil ways; all of life became meaningless to him.  All was not well with his soul.

So, how do we respond when all is going well? 

• Does God receive all the glory?
• Do we live in gratitude, thanking God with every breath we take, for all He has done in and through us?
• Do we live to please God in all we think, say, and do?
• How do we respond to God’s daily manna given for our needs as He perceives them to be? 
• Does life become meaningless because we think we deserve more? 

Solomon used his God-given wisdom to make Israel strong. But as Solomon became wealthy, he grew distant from God.  Max Lucado writes of King Solomon’s appetite for greed with a warning for all believers;

“Greed comes in many forms. Greed for approval. Greed for applause. Greed for status. Greed for the best office, the fastest car, the prettiest date. Greed has many faces but speaks one language: the language of more. Epicurus noted, “Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little.”

Wise was the one who wrote, “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

Greed has a growling stomach. Feed it, and you risk more than budget-busting debt. You risk losing purpose.

Is wealth your aim? Put that dream aside and give priority to God. Do something today to curb the appetite for money and be content with what you have.”—Lucado, Encouraging Word Bible

Real contentment is knowing God intimately in a growing relationship with Him, trusting He will provide all we need when we need it most for our good and His glory. To strive to provide for our families is pleasing to God who provides for us.  God owns it all! Before we went to work; God provided the work!  This is how it works. We must remember to put God first and listen to what He says.  Then He will add “all these things” that He knows we need to farm the fruits of His Holy Spirit within us! How do I know—Jesus said and lived it for us and I’ve seen it with my own eyes! I trust Him completely for the wellness of my soul!

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”—Jesus, Matthew 6:33 ESV

To clarify, Mashall Segal, CEO of Desiring God, writes;

“Contentment is not simply about settling for what we have, but trusting in what God has said. Both anxiety and greed rise in our hearts as God’s words fall.

When the author of Hebrews wanted to teach his readers about contentment, he told them an old story with a familiar refrain. He quieted their fears and quenched their greed by reminding them what God had said. “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5). Which prompted Charles Spurgeon to ask,

Will not the distresses of life and the pangs of death, will not the internal corruptions and the external snares, will not the trials from above and the temptations from beneath all seem but light afflictions when we can hide ourselves beneath the bulwark of “he has said”?

The seed of unnecessary fear in the heart of a Christian is forgetfulness — an inability to remember and trust what the God of the universe has said and done. No one has ever had any grounds to accuse God of not following through on his word. Not even one phrase in any sentence in any statement he has ever made has failed (Joshua 21:45).

We will only be truly content with what we have when we know that we have Him. And we will remember that we have Him when we hear and believe his voice. —Segal, Desiring God

As I write this, the old hymn “It Is Well with My Soul” is playing in the background of my mind along with knowing the story behind the composer’s words.  In 1883, the ship carrying his wife and children went down and they drowned.  In overwhelming grief, as his ship passed over their watering grave, passing through the deep waters, Horatio Spafford wrote this hymn of praise to God;

“When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.

Refrain: It is well with my soul, It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord! Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.”

Lord,

This is my prayer of praise to you with thanksgiving in my heart for you!  It is indeed well with my soul all because of You.

In Jesus Name, Amen

“What a day that will be, When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face, The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand, And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.” (Composed by Jim Hill, 1955)

Are we truly ready for that day?  When Jesus comes to take us to our forever home, what will be our instinctive response? Will we truly be in awe as we gaze on the glory that surrounds Him?  Will our mouths utter praise immediately? Or will we automatically say, “oh, wait a sec, I’ll be right there, I just have to finish this.” Mm.

Even though King David followed by his son, King Solomon were historical factual people, living in the old covenant days, God’s story with their responses and their actions of obedience to God are used to teach and represent the character of God to us.  Reading the Old Testament, as we have been doing over the past few months, give us all the details of how to worship God alone.

With specified details for God’s anointed priest advocates; they received offerings of sacrifice to cover over the sins of the people. The process was called atonement.  The process was detailed for quality control purposes.  Animals such as lambs, goats, bulls, and birds had to be “without blemish; the first of the flock” to be acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. (See Leviticus) The sacrifice had to cost the giver.  Then designated priests were given detailed instructions to ceremoniously place the sin of the people on animals. Depending on the sin or kind of offering depended on the actions taken. 

The animal offerings were put to death quickly, the blood drained, then the meat burned on a roaring fire. This was “an aroma pleasing to God.” Only then could the sacrifice for sins be complete and the forgiveness of God be given.  Sin cannot be in or occupy the same place where God resides and abides. One must go and that one is sin—Sin repented and atoned.  

God had a continual plan of redemption for sin. Later, in the New Covenant, it would involve giving a part of Himself as the once and for all sacrifice for all the sins of the world.  God’s New Covenant with His people would remove sin, “to be remembered no more”!  Jesus, His Son was that Plan.  Jesus, came down from heaven and was born to a virgin, Mary espoused to Joseph.  He grew in stature and loved to be in His Father’s house, The Temple, deemed by Him as the “House of prayer for all nations.”  Known as the Son of Man but also the Son of God, he began to preach Truth to a dark, confused world in ways they had never heard before! 

Even religious leaders who sat and debated scripture all day long were confused and lost because they didn’t really know God; they just knew of God.  That’s why most didn’t recognize Jesus when He came and moved into the neighborhoods of humanity to love, serve, heal, and teach who God really is and what He expects from His people. And who they didn’t know—they feared—so they plotted against Him.

Only Jesus, who knew no sin, would then be the perfect candidate to be the perfect sacrifice for the removal of sin. It would cost God His one and only Son, to remove the sins of you and me and everyone else in the world who believe Jesus was the one to save us from death!  But His love led the Way to be saved!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

Jesus, “alpha and omega,” was with God at the beginning of creation and He will come back at the end of the age with fire from heaven with the Word of God (the sword of truth) in his mouth! As God’s Son, Jesus was/is/always will be the promised Messiah, proclaimed by the prophets of God centuries earlier as The ONE who will save us. He did and He will come back soon. Jesus ties the work of the Old Covenant to the New Covenant.  The Old Testament continually and repeatedly points to Christ. God’s Word says we won’t know the time or the place; but all who believe will immediately recognize Him when He comes.

God’s people saw and recognized the glory of God filling the new Temple!  The Lord answered Solomon’s request by sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifices on the altar, and once again the glory of God filled the house. God responds in power—always has and always will!  And He’s doing it again!  God had sent fire from heaven when Aaron the priest had blessed the people (Lev. 9:23, 24) and when Elijah the prophet had called upon God (1 Kings 18:38). Here God sent fire when Solomon the king offered his prayer and his sacrifices to the Lord. The people all responded by bowing to the ground in reverence to God. Imagine the sound of thousands of people shouting, “For He is good, for His mercy endures forever” (v.3). God had accepted the prayer of the king and the worship of the people!

2 Chronicles 7

The Dedication of the Temple

When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. ² The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it. ³ When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying,

“He is good; his love endures forever.”

⁴ Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. ⁵ And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the people dedicated the temple of God. ⁶ The priests took their positions, as did the Levites with the Lord’s musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the Lord and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love endures forever.” Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.

⁷ Solomon consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar he had made could not hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat portions.

⁸ So Solomon observed the festival at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. ⁹ On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival for seven days more. ¹⁰ On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the Lord had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel.

The Lord Appears to Solomon

¹¹ When Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, ¹² the Lord appeared to him at night and said:

“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.

¹³ “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, ¹⁴ if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. ¹⁵ Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. ¹⁶ I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

¹⁷ “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, ¹⁸ I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to rule over Israel.’

¹⁹ “But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, ²⁰ then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. ²¹ This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ ²² People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.’”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

I’ve read recently how one believer responded to our world’s current condition by composing a song meant to be praise to God with hope for us as we wait on the return of Jesus!  “Days of Elijah” stirs our hearts as we wonder at times just how bad and sinful will the world be before Jesus comes?  But when we read of the “old days” in the Old Testament and into the New Testament and learn of extreme oppression with violence, and persecution that lead to death for those who believed; we realize it is beginning to happen but has not fully arrived yet. “Be aware,” says the Word who is Jesus; and “guard your hearts”!  The best stand to take in our world is to focus on WHO’S coming back and set our hearts, minds, and souls firmly on Him who delivered us by paying our debt of sin in full!  Trust and obey Jesus, for there really is no better way to live!

“These are the days of Elijah, Declaring the word of the Lord
And these are the days of your servant Moses, Righteousness being restored
And though these are days of great trial, Of famine and darkness and sword
Still, we are the voice in the desert crying, Prepare ye the way of the Lord

Behold He comes riding on the clouds, Shining like the sun at the trumpet call
Lift your voice, it’s the year of jubilee, And out of Zion’s hill salvation comes!”

The words of the composer, Robin Mark, “Days of Elijah” explains;

I found myself despairing about the state of the world and, in prayer, began asking God if He was really in control and what sort of days were we living in. I felt in my spirit that He replied to my prayer by saying that indeed He was very much in control and that the days we were living in were special times when He would require Christians to be filled with integrity and to stand up for Him just like Elijah did, particularly with the prophets of Baal. “These are ‘Elijah’ days.” Elijah’s story is in the book of Kings and you can read how he felt isolated and alone in the culture in which he lived. But God told him to stand up and speak for Him.

We also needed to be a holy and just people and hence the reference to the “days of your servant Moses,” meaning that righteousness and right living was important in all our attitudes and works. Now, we are under grace and not under law, but the righteousness that comes by faith can be no less than the moral law that Moses brought direct from God. It has not been superseded. In fact Jesus told us that our “righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees”, who were the most ardent followers of Gods laws as presented by Moses. Jesus was after righteous, servant hearts, of course, that desired to live holy lives for Him.

“Days of great trial, of famine, darkness and sword” is a reflection of the apparent times in which we live when still thousands of people die every day from starvation, malnutrition and war. In the midst of it all, we are called to make a declaration of what and who we believe in.

The second verse refers to the restoration of unity of the body, what Jesus prayed for – “that they may be one even as I and the Father are one…” by reference to Ezekiel’s prophetic vision of the valley of the dry bones becoming flesh and being knit together. There are lots of interpretations of this picture, but one of a united church rising up in unity and purpose, is a powerful call on us in these days.

The restoration of praise and worship to the Church is represented by “the days of your servant David”. Some folks use the term “Restoration Theology” to describe this restoring of attributes to the church. But in the song it’s mainly a picture of worship

Of course David didn’t get to build the structural temple (that’s why the word in the song line is “rebuild”), that was left to Solomon his son, but David was used by God to introduce a revised form of worship, praise and thanksgiving into, firstly, his little tent which he pitched around the Ark of the covenant (the presence of God) and then the temple that Solomon his son built.

This worship, unlike the Mosaic Tabernacle, involved many people being able to come into Gods presence and worship him openly. (In Moses time only one man, the high priest, could enter the Holy of Holies, once a year. David’s tent was a picture of how Christ would enable us to come right into Gods presence, through his sacrifice, and worship openly there). –Robin Mark, Composer

“And these are the days of Ezekiel, The dry bones becoming as flesh
And these are the days of your servant David, Rebuilding a temple of praise
And these are the days of the harvest, Oh, the fields are as white in Your world
And we are the laborers in Your vineyard, Declaring the word of the Lord

Behold He comes riding on the clouds Shining like the sun at the trumpet call
Lift your voice, it’s the year of jubilee And out of Zion’s hill salvation comes!”

There is no one like our God!

Lord,

Each day I come to you with a mind to learn; you teach me and fill the temple of my heart with your glory!  Thank you, thank you, thank you! And you do it again and again and again!  There is no one like You!

In Jesus Name, Amen

“Move that bus!” was the shout of the contractor and show’s host.  A new home had been built.  The family’s things moved back in with new things made just for them. Tears flowed from family to those in our homes watching their reactions!  We loved watching Extreme Home Makeover as gifted artisans and designers of all kinds would come together to build a home with attention and meaning to every detail. 

Their goal was to lift up and encourage the family after being knocked down by life circumstances, replacing despair with hope. We looked on as each artisan and decorator would interview family members to understand who they were for the purpose of discovering their likes and needs. Their goal was to please the new homeowners with all they would need to live a life with greater hope for their future.  Wow!  To watch the family see it for the first time and walk their every room stirred our hearts.  All those who had a part in the work watched anxiously and excitedly as each family member looked in awe at what had been done for them.  Love immediately filled each room because of the family’s gratitude for the workers who provided what they needed most—someone to care!  (What if the church were that attentive to those knocked down by life? Just wondering, many are attentive, loving and kind, some even do something about it; but some of us are too wrapped up in our own stuff of life.)

God didn’t need a house to live in because God is everywhere.  God declared it; David knew it.  But God in His great love, bent down to listen to David, a man after the heart of God from shepherd boy to king.  King David was determined to honor God by replacing the Tent of Meeting with a glorious, grand Temple. Deep down, David knew he could not repay or out give God; but still his desire to please God drove his Temple dreams.  David dreamed of a magnificent monument of worship to God, a holy place for God’s Presence, a place pleasing to God. It was to be a place for all people to come and be in awe of God, bowing before Him, praying to God and listening for Him through the priests, and most of all, to know and receive God as the One and Only God of all. 

Because of David’s past; he would not be the builder—only the designer. The build would be the responsibility of this son, Solomon.  David accepted God’s decision and gathered resources. Upon David’s passing; King Solomon came to the throne and took his responsibility seriously, going far beyond what was needed.  Because Solomon asked God for wisdom to lead His people; God answered with more wisdom, power, and resources than any other man or woman in the world at that time. 

Now the Temple is complete, the furnishings are all moved in, it is time to celebrate!  And what does God do?  He fills the Temple with the Glory of His Holy Presence! 

God moved in!

2 Chronicles 5

When all the work Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated—the silver and gold and all the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of God’s temple.

The Ark Brought to the Temple

² Then Solomon summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. ³ And all the Israelites came together to the king at the time of the festival in the seventh month.

⁴ When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark, ⁵ and they brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The Levitical priests carried them up; ⁶ and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.

⁷ The priests then brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. ⁸ The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles. ⁹ These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark, could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. ¹⁰ There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

¹¹ The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions. ¹² All the Levites who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. ¹³ The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:

“He is good; his love endures forever.”

Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud, ¹⁴ and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

It’s not about you. It’s all about God. These are the first words of Rick Warren’s book, “The Purpose Driven Life.” God created every human being with purpose. Yes, but all began with God!  “In the beginning God…” the first four words of God’s Word to us confirms it all! (Genesis 1:1)

Solomon fulfilled his purpose. Then he dedicated the new temple in Jerusalem. What a glorious “move in” day! He invited tribal elders and chiefs from throughout Israel. While the sacred furnishings from the tent of meeting were moved inside the temple, sacrifices began. Amid song, praise, and music, God’s glory filled the temple! 

Over the past few months of reading and studying Kings and Chronicles we see God at work giving each man and woman a purpose to fulfill. We can go back to the beginning and see what God did as He created the earth and every living thing on and above it! God created the first humans, Adam and Eve made “in the image of God.” Then He gave them purpose—take care of the Garden I have given to you to enjoy. When their eyes were distracted from their purpose to considering they were gods; their purpose was redesigned but still their purpose remained—take care of the earth, work the ground, reproduce.  They still had purpose.  As God takes us on a journey through His Word from Adam to Abraham to Moses, through all the prophets and kings, all flawed people in a corrupt world; we discover God is still God.  He has not changed.  His love had not changed for us nor His faithfulness to us. We were all born with purpose and a longing for Him. God’s love, mercy, and grace remains.

We are empty, desolate, hopeless without God. God knew. So, God sent Jesus, with one distinctive purpose and mission, to fill the Temple of our whole created being with His Holy Presence.  When we receive Jesus, repent of our sins to Jesus, God moves into our whole being—His Temple, made ready for Him to dwell!

The Lord appeared to Solomon and told him that his work on the temple pleased him. He said that if his judgment fell on the nation due to sin, they could turn to the Lord in repentance. The Lord would then respond to true repentance by forgiving their sin and healing their land.

We are flawed for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;” but we are also perfectly forgiven when we repent in Jesus Name.  When we fall, we can dismiss it. We can deny it. We can distort it. Or we can deal with it. Dealing with confessing our sins to God who already knows. Confession is simply agreeing with God that our acts were wrong. It is God’s desire to forgive your sinful deeds and thoughts through his wonderful grace. We just need to ask. 

Let God move in!

Lord,

Fill the Temple of our hearts with Your Holy Presence as we ask for the forgiveness of our sins.  Cleanse our hearts, remove all that does not belong.  Renew our minds, refresh our souls. Restore the joy of your salvation at work within us.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen

Momma said, “If you’re going to do it—do it right!” I heard this so many times in my life from childhood through adulthood that I still hear her voice, like a recording in my mind.  My mom, an executive secretary for an oil company in Oklahoma City, worked hard to do the tasks she was given to do—correctly and neatly—going beyond what was required of her.

As a young college student on summer break, her company asked if I would be the front reception in my time off until they could find a replacement.  Mom encouraged me to do it even though I had no experience.  “I’ll teach you,” she said, it’s not that hard. (Yes, to her maybe!) Indeed, she taught me not only to do it but to do it right.  I thought I would merely be answering the phone; but many other details were involved in greeting clients at the door with a smile to give a good first impression to making sure the oil field executive salespeople had all the information needed to do their job.  There were so many details I didn’t know existed until I got into the work. Soon, I became more comfortable doing the tasks as I developed skills beyond what I had before coming to the job. 

What I learned most from mom was how she did her work!  She was the ultimate professional in all she did and gave all she had to the work so others could accomplish their work.  As a support to the executives; she knew at any given moment where all her bosses would be in the field or enroute to anther field.  She was amazing not only in the work but how she related to all other workers in the office.  I watched others have a deep respect for my mom who “did it right” so the work was done well by all. 

Observing my mom at work, caused my respect and pride for her to grow deeply within my heart.  She became “wonder woman” to me!  Her work and spiritual habits were engrained in me as I would later be led of God to do works beyond what my abilities could muster.  Her favorite scripture that guided her life was, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 From office work to church work to being a mom and wife, all at the same time; she trusted, obeyed what God said was right and good from His Word, giving her best to Him.  She sought to fulfill what the Lord required of her, “seek justice, move mercy, and walk humbly with God.” (Micah 6:8) I’m sure mom was receive with God’s “well done, good and faithful servant.”

Before he died, King David told his son, Solomon; “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.”  (1 Chronicles 28:20)

2 Chronicles aligns with the directions given to Moses from God centuries earlier about what the Tabernacle, (Tent of Meeting) should look like and what materials to use for all the tools to be used in the burnt offering sacrifices. King David did not “reinvent the wheel” in his design for the Temple.  But King Solomon embellished what the directions!

King Solomon leads all the artisans of the temple work with the words of his father.  “Do the work—right!” He goes over and beyond what is required of him because of all the resources his father provided for the work, along with skilled people to do the work! 

2 Chronicles 4

The Temple’s Furnishings

He made a bronze altar twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high. ² He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it. ³ Below the rim, figures of bulls encircled it—ten to a cubit. The bulls were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

⁴ The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. ⁵ It was a handbreadth in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths.

⁶ He then made ten basins for washing and placed five on the south side and five on the north. In them the things to be used for the burnt offerings were rinsed, but the Sea was to be used by the priests for washing.

⁷ He made ten gold lampstands according to the specifications for them and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north.

⁸ He made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. He also made a hundred gold sprinkling bowls.

⁹ He made the courtyard of the priests, and the large court and the doors for the court, and overlaid the doors with bronze. ¹⁰ He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner.

¹¹ And Huram also made the pots and shovels and sprinkling bowls.

So Huram finished the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of God: ¹² the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; ¹³ the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network, decorating the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars); ¹⁴ the stands with their basins; ¹⁵ the Sea and the twelve bulls under it; ¹⁶ the pots, shovels, meat forks and all related articles.

All the objects that Huram-Abi made for King Solomon for the temple of the Lord were of polished bronze. ¹⁷ The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Sukkoth and Zarethan. ¹⁸ All these things that Solomon made amounted to so much that the weight of the bronze could not be calculated.

¹⁹ Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in God’s temple: the golden altar; the tables on which was the bread of the Presence; ²⁰ the lampstands of pure gold with their lamps, to burn in front of the inner sanctuary as prescribed; ²¹ the gold floral work and lamps and tongs (they were solid gold); ²² the pure gold wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and censers; and the gold doors of the temple: the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and the doors of the main hall.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God knows what we need to do His work His way. When God guides; He always provides all we need to accomplish His work He has invited us to join Him in doing. But to do the work well; we must go to Him daily for each step of the work. Going to God daily for instructions develops our attitudes in the work.  We must BE with God before Doing anything for God.

At any time, did the details overwhelm King Solomon who oversaw all the work of the artisans?  The furnishings of the temple were important to the priests, for without the divinely ordained furniture, they couldn’t do their ministry or please the Lord.  How did King Solomon know how important each detail was unless he was taught by his father who learned by reading God’s Law?

The tabernacle that Moses constructed had only one table for the loaves of bread and one golden lampstand with seven lamps on it, but the temple had ten golden tables and ten golden lampstands in the Holy Place, five each along the north wall and five along the south wall. The lamps provided the light needed for the ministry in the Holy Place.  King Soloman did indeed go beyond what God had given to Moses to accomplish; but he had the resources to do it!  Each day and age is different but truth does not change.  God knows exactly what His People need when they need it most. God uses everything in our lives (good and bad) to grow our relationship with Him more intimately and resolutely.  We learn from experience, that it isn’t as much about accomplishing all the work given to us in all the right ways in every detail; but more about Who we learn from and become as we fully trust and obey God with all our hearts, minds, and souls.

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. ⁸ Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.” Ephesians 6:5-8 NLT

Written by Paul to the church in Ephesus; the word “slaves” undoubtedly refers to Christian servants, but we can certainly apply these words to Christian employees with bosses today. Doing a good job is the will of God! Christianity knows nothing of sacred and secular. A Christian can perform any good work as a ministry to Christ, to the glory of God no matter what our vocation in life! For this reason, the worker must do his/her job “as though employed by God Himself,” since we are serving Christ, the will of God.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

Ah, Mom, I get why you said it so often; “If you’re going to do the work, do it right—as unto God!”  It wasn’t to please you but God!

Lord,

Thank you for memories of past lessons that still apply today.  Thank you for leading us to your purpose with attention to detail so all is done to give you glory!  Cleanse our hearts and renew our minds daily so that our attitudes in the work are pure and enthusiastic!  Refresh us with your tender mercies that encourage to give you our best. And may the joy of your salvation at work within us put a smile on our faces as we do your will.  To you be the glory!

In Jesus Name, Amen

How exciting it is to watch the foundation be laid for your new church building! After years of dreaming, planning, raising funds and finding resources to do the work in the most efficient way possible by a group of dedicated people who love God; it’s gets real when the concrete is poured into the forms! From dreams to plans to reality—This is really happening!

I was there with my family and a few others to see the poured foundation. We walked the perimeter and imagined where all the rooms were going to be. We came often to see the continuing progress and sometimes help in small details as my Grandpa, a carpenter by trade, was the appointed contractor by the elders of the church. Grandpa volunteered his time and talents to this project.  He loved God with his whole heart, mind, and soul and everyone knew it. He turned away from any praise given to him. His dream for this structure was to be a place for all people to be discipled and sent to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”—just as Jesus commanded. (Matthew 28:20) And God was definitely was with Grandpa as he worked diligently each day.

I wonder how many people marveled at the progress of the building of a Temple that would exceed all expectations of all nations in its beauty and majesty?  What did they think as precious stones were inlaid and pure gold was overlaid over bronze and fine wood?  Can we imagine what the common people must have thought as they watched?

Only the best wood and precious metals were used for God’s house.  God deserves the best we can give. But God also deserves our finest possessions, our most valuable time, and our precious money with knowledge that He owns it all anyway!  But we must not ever think we can out give the Giver of Life Eternal. 

Will this magnificent building distract the eyes of those who seek their majestic, all powerful, all knowing, God?

2 Chronicles 3

Solomon Builds the Temple

Then Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David. ² He began building on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.

³ The foundation Solomon laid for building the temple of God was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide (using the cubit of the old standard). ⁴ The portico at the front of the temple was twenty cubits long across the width of the building and twenty cubits high.

He overlaid the inside with pure gold. ⁵ He paneled the main hall with juniper and covered it with fine gold and decorated it with palm tree and chain designs. ⁶ He adorned the temple with precious stones. And the gold he used was gold of Parvaim. ⁷ He overlaid the ceiling beams, doorframes, walls and doors of the temple with gold, and he carved cherubim on the walls.

⁸ He built the Most Holy Place, its length corresponding to the width of the temple—twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. He overlaid the inside with six hundred talents of fine gold. ⁹ The gold nails weighed fifty shekels. He also overlaid the upper parts with gold.

¹⁰ For the Most Holy Place he made a pair of sculptured cherubim and overlaid them with gold. ¹¹ The total wingspan of the cherubim was twenty cubits. One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long and touched the temple wall, while its other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the other cherub. ¹² Similarly one wing of the second cherub was five cubits long and touched the other temple wall, and its other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the first cherub. ¹³ The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits. They stood on their feet, facing the main hall.

¹⁴ He made the curtain of blue, purple and crimson yarn and fine linen, with cherubim worked into it.

¹⁵ For the front of the temple he made two pillars, which together were thirty-five cubits long, each with a capital five cubits high. ¹⁶ He made interwoven chains and put them on top of the pillars. He also made a hundred pomegranates and attached them to the chains. ¹⁷ He erected the pillars in the front of the temple, one to the south and one to the north. The one to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

King Soloman went over and beyond what was needed to build a Temple of the Lord. The once humbled young king is now making sure that only the best and the finest will be used in the structure meant to bring glory to God.  For example, at the west end of the Holy Place, sixty feet from the doors, hung the beautiful veil that marked off the Most Holy Place. This created a room that was a cube, measuring thirty feet on every side. In the tabernacle of Moses, the Most Holy Place was also a cube, but it measured only fifteen feet per side. In fact, the dimensions of the temple were twice those of the tabernacle!

But wait, there’s more—

The walls of the Most Holy Place were paneled with cedar wood and covered with gold (See also 1 Kings 6:16), and the floor was made of gold-plated cypress planks (1 Kings 6:15). Even the nails used in the Most Holy Place were plated with gold (v. 9). The ark of the Lord’s Covenant was later placed in the Most Holy Place.

“When all the work King Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated—the silver and gold and the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple.” 1 Kings 7:51

We learn from comparing notes with 1 Kings written description of the building of the Temple along with King Solomon’s own palace residence, that once these magnificent projects were complete, Solomon will later write; “I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards” (Ecclesiastes 2:4), but he found it meaningless, “vanity and grasping for the wind” (Ecclesiastes 7:11).  Notice all the “I’s.” What happened within Solomon?

When the project itself is worshiped and praises for the contractor are made by the people; it all suddenly becomes meaningless.  Buildings will age, crumble and fall.  Centuries later, Jesus sternly warned his disciples of being distracted by the Temple’s beauty and majesty on that one particular day in Jerusalem;

“Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”—Jesus, Luke 21:5-6

At that point, the temple was rebuilt about 516 BC. In addition, Herod had undertaken a massive renovation and enlargement of the temple. Jesus prophesied that persecution would come, and the temple would be destroyed—and it was by the enemy again! Jesus’ words to his beloved disciples shifted the focus from the physical grandeur and permanence of a man-made structure to the reality that all earthly things are temporary. He wanted his followers to invest in what is lasting—His eternal kingdom—rather than being attached to material or national symbols. 

Mm, how attached are we to our church buildings?

When the building becomes our salvation and awe; our hearts are not in sync with God who sent His Son to redeem us.  In fact, do we dare say, that our worship of anything other than God cheapens the precious work Jesus did for us on the cross to redeem us!

Buildings are not redeemers who give life; but merely places meant to meet our Deliverer, the Giver of Eternal Life. Can you handle more truth? —Our Bodies are His Temple in whom He wants to reside and abide on earth! (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)  And guess what, even this Temple Body will taken down as a tent at our passing from this life to eternal life with our souls intact!  We will be given a new body—like Christ’s resurrected body that will last for eternity! (1 Corinthians 15; 2 Corinthians 5) Ah, friends, believe Jesus, trust in God—He knows what He is doing!

As Jesus’ disciples, we should also be prepared for persecution and be discerning about world events. However, because Jesus is God, we take great comfort knowing Jesus will one day return and make all things right. Church buildings and earthly temples can and will be destroyed; but nothing can destroy our souls given to our Father God who protects those who put all their trust and love in Him.

How do we know? Jesus said;

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.”—Jesus, Matthew 10:28-33

Two choices: Life or Death.  Choose wisely this day whom you will love, worship, and serve.

Lord,

Wow, you have stirred our hearts once more by your Word that speaks volumes to us through Your Holy Spirit. Cleanse our hearts; remove all that does not belong. Renew our minds, refresh our souls, and restore the joy of your salvation at work within us.

In Jesus Name, Amen

When repairing or remodeling our homes—we want the best skilled reliable people to do the work with and for us!  We call our friends to see who they have used and who might know the reputations of reliable companies.  We lean heavily on “word of mouth” testimonials rather than on media advertising blasts.  When we seek to build a new home from the ground up; we want the best—so it will last!

Soloman has been given wisdom by God along with advise with resources previously acquired from his father, King David.  Solomon now begins giving orders for the work to be done.  He begins with contracting the work to skilled workers who will build the greatest Temple possible.  His words speak his heart when he says; “The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods,” which sounds boastful until he adds, “But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? Who then am I to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?”

The new, young king could be feeling the intense pressure to succeed in this overwhelming task handed down to him from his father, King David. Who on earth has not felt the intense pressure and stress coupled with anxious excitement before beginning a project beyond what we think we can accomplish? 

2 Chronicles 2

Preparations for Building the Temple

Solomon gave orders to build a temple for the Name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself. ² He conscripted 70,000 men as carriers and 80,000 as stonecutters in the hills and 3,600 as foremen over them.

³ Solomon sent this message to Hiram king of Tyre:

“Send me cedar logs as you did for my father David when you sent him cedar to build a palace to live in. ⁴ Now I am about to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God and to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense before him, for setting out the consecrated bread regularly, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening and on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is a lasting ordinance for Israel.

⁵ “The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods. ⁶ But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? Who then am I to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?

⁷ “Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled workers, whom my father David provided.

⁸ “Send me also cedar, juniper and algum logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting timber there. My servants will work with yours ⁹ to provide me with plenty of lumber, because the temple I build must be large and magnificent. ¹⁰ I will give your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, twenty thousand cors of ground wheat, twenty thousand cors of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine and twenty thousand baths of olive oil.

¹¹ Hiram king of Tyre replied by letter to Solomon:

“Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you their king.”

¹² And Hiram added:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth! He has given King David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and discernment, who will build a temple for the Lord and a palace for himself.

¹³ “I am sending you Huram-Abi, a man of great skill, ¹⁴ whose mother was from Dan and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue and crimson yarn and fine linen. He is experienced in all kinds of engraving and can execute any design given to him. He will work with your skilled workers and with those of my lord, David your father.

¹⁵ “Now let my lord send his servants the wheat and barley and the olive oil and wine he promised, ¹⁶ and we will cut all the logs from Lebanon that you need and will float them as rafts by sea down to Joppa. You can then take them up to Jerusalem.”

¹⁷ Solomon took a census of all the foreigners residing in Israel, after the census his father David had taken; and they were found to be 153,600. ¹⁸ He assigned 70,000 of them to be carriers and 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills, with 3,600 foremen over them to keep the people working.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Where God guides; He provides. Always. 

We are called with purpose and equipped with skills to accomplish God’s purpose He designed and planned for us before we were born!  Our response is to give our best back to the Giver! “Give of your best to the Master…” This old hymn of praise and direction for believers comes to mind immediately.

As Solomon begins to build a grand temple in Jerusalem. The Temple will be designed for worship of God, prayers to God, with offerings given to cover our sins before God—only God.  The Temple will be the place where God’s people are directed to give of their best to Him in sacrifice—animals “without blemish,” the first and best of the flock for only the best given with a humbled repentant heart will be acceptable to God.

The wise King Solomon seeks the best, the most skillful, who will give their best efforts to building the Temple.  The blueprints were given by God to King David; but the contracting work to build would be King Solomon’s purpose for his life accomplishment. Only the best wood and precious metals were used for God’s house. Solomon declared that God deserves the best we can give. God deserves our finest possessions, our most valuable time, and our precious money. After all, who owns all we have been given?  God, the Giver who gave His best for us!

IN THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE; GOD IS BUILDING A NEW NATION

God sees and knows what lies ahead. God’s ultimate plan is for all nations to come together to worship Him in spirit and in truth.  Jesus, Son of God, alpha and omega, is God’s Plan of redemption for all and whoever believes in Him and follows Him, giving their best to the Master who redeemed us and set us free!

Warren Wiersbe comments;

“Solomon enlisted both Israelites and resident aliens to help construct the temple. Thousands of Israelite workers cut timber in Lebanon for a month and then returned home for two months, while thousands of “alien” laborers cut and delivered massive stones from the hills, supervised by Israelite foremen (1 Kings 5:13–18; 9:20–23). The fact that Gentiles worked along with the Israelites suggests that the temple was indeed a house for all nations. We must not think that these resident aliens were treated as slaves, because the Law of Moses clearly prohibited such practices (Exodus. 22:21; 23:9; Lev. 19:33, 34).” –Wiersbe Study Bible

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

One of many prayers of written by David is for all nations to worship our God!  Did he know something others did not know at the time? Probably.

“Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.
All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.” Psalm 86:8-10

When Jesus was sent to earth to seek and to save the lost; He came to the Temple in Jerusalem.  This magnificent structure, designed and dedicated to be “a house of prayer for all nations” had become a market place of corruption. The Son of God/Son of Man saw it with His own eyes and heard it with His own ears. His heart, overwhelmed with disgust turned to righteous anger.  The Temple was now owned and operated by the resident priests, scribes, and teachers who had rewritten and added to God’s Law without consulting God. The Temple of God’s Holy Presence became a place infected and infested with greed and the thirst for power. This way of life had taken the place of humbled service to God in accordance with His Law.

We know the stories of Jesus ridding the Temple courts of the marketplace that sold  sacrifices with corrupt pricing. We’ve read and heard it preached about how Jesus “set the Pharisees and religious leaders straight” about what God desires of us of us leaders and followers.  So, maybe it is time to stop and prayerfully consider our attitudes and evaluate our behaviors in our places of worship.  Yes, I’m going there.

Do we exclude people, sometimes without thinking, and greet those we know with inside jokes and yammer while avoiding first time visitors who we assume are not like us?  Are we known for not offering a simple “hello” with a smile when they come to the doors of our church? We visited a church not long a few weeks ago—not one person greeted us, so yes, it still happens. God is grieved when we stay securely planted in our holy huddles.

Do we judge by their appearances?  Do we assume they probably are here only for the donuts?  Do we assume their kids will be unruly and sigh when we must make room for them?

Do we invite them to sit with us as soon as we see them; or do we tighten our grasp on “our row for our friends and family” loudly expressed by our body language? Visitors get it when they are not welcomed—we aren’t hiding anything.

And even if people scale the heights of our church rules because of their sole and soul purpose to  seek, find and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord; what is our expectations of them then? Do we love them as they grow in faith or expect new believers to grow up immediately to be like us? What is our endgame? Do we allow growth and maturing to be done by God’s Holy Spirit in them or by our church rules and regs?

The real life goal Jesus commands of us is “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20  Goal with a promise!

We must realize that none of us has arrived at perfection. We all strive daily with God’s help to be more and more like Jesus who perfectly taught us humility, love and service. And when we falter, stumble an fall; He picks us up, dusts us off, and perfectly forgives us so we can keep moving forward in his love, mercy, and grace.

Who we really are—in the words of Peter, the Rock upon whom Jesus build His church;

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:9-12

Who we are called to be—

“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ²⁴ “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:21-25

So, are we a club with club rules that must be adhered and honored? Or are we a house of prayer, worship, with learning how to humbly walk with God like Jesus taught us by example who go and teach others no matter who they are? The “club mentality” is so easy to fall back on when relating to those we do not know from other places.  Avoid it—like the plague!  Sometimes I wonder if Jesus needs to come and set us straight once again!  Oh wait, He is coming back!

John, the beloved disciples of Jesus, was given a revelation of things to come. This revelation revealed the habits and attitudes of seven real churches operating at that time.  Jesus reveals truth that humble us if we read and study what He says with open hearts who seek God’s Holy Spirit’s guidance to Truth with loving course corrections. 

Jesus is indeed coming back—sooner than we realize!  In what shape will He find our Temples?

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” 1 Corinthians 3:16

Lord,

There are many thoughts that lead to me to ask you to “search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24) 

You are God, we are not.  To you be all glory, honor, and praise!  Daily cleanse the temple in which you dwell—my heart, mind, and soul. Remove all that does not belong.  I offer my life to you. I’m listening for I am your servant.  Help me to be more like you in every way instead of merely trying to be a better me like the world teaches. 

In Jesus Name, Amen

Imagine a father who so loved his child that he would provide all that child would need to build a splendid life of inner peace, unconditional love, with eternal joy for generations to come! King David passes on the plan of God’s Temple to his son, Solomon. The King became so well versed in God’s Law; he taught others to follow it in preparation for serving in the Temple to be built.  David also gathered resources for years so he could provide all that his son would need to complete the building of the Temple for the worship of God alone as commanded by God. 

“I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, ‘I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.’” Psalm 89:1-4

My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him.
The enemy will not get the better of him; the wicked will not oppress him.
I will crush his foes before him and strike down his adversaries.
My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his horn (strength) will be exalted.” Psalm 89:21-24

Almighty, all knowing, God who selected David also equipped him to fight battles, lead the army, and build the kingdom of Israel in might by God’s power and strength within him. Even as a youth, he was known for his military prowess and his relentless faith in God! The Lord extended David’s rule, because David was mostly a humble man, a man who “ran after the heart of God” with willing obedience to Him. David avoided promoting himself but gave God the glory after every battle he faced. (His story is recorded first in the books of Samuel.) Even the spoils of war went into the treasury for the purpose of building the Temple. Because of his heart, God established David and promised him a throne and a dynasty forever; a promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ, God’s Son. 

You see, God’s Plan wasn’t just about building a worship center then; it was preparation for the fulfillment of God’s greater plan given to His Son, Jesus!  Ah, but we get ahead of ourselves; Read on….

1 Chronicles 28

David’s Plans for the Temple

David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the warriors and all the brave fighting men.

² King David rose to his feet and said: “Listen to me, my fellow Israelites, my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. ³ But God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’

⁴ “Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the tribe of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. ⁵ Of all my sons—and the Lord has given me many—he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. ⁶ He said to me: ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. ⁷ I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.’

⁸ “So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.

⁹ “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. ¹⁰ Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.”

¹¹ Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. ¹² He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things. ¹³ He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the Lord, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service. ¹⁴ He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service: ¹⁵ the weight of gold for the gold lampstands and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; ¹⁶ the weight of gold for each table for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables; ¹⁷ the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish; ¹⁸ and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and overshadow the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

¹⁹ “All this,” David said, “I have in writing as a result of the Lord’s hand on me, and he enabled me to understand all the details of the plan.”

²⁰ David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished. ²¹ The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing person skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Down through the ages, The Temple, dedicated as a “house of prayer” to God became corrupt with the world’s way of doing business and living life—to please self and to gain power. God knew it would happen.  But God also knew His Plan was not yet complete.  God’s Plan would be The Way to redeem His people and remove all sins once and for all!  His plan included all the sins of the world—salvation for all nations—for God so loved all He had created in the world!

God, the Father had a Plan from the beginning of creation to save us.  That plan of salvation and redemption, known by Jesus who stood with Him at the dawn of creation, would be the completion through the sacrifice of the His life for ours.

John explains the bottom lines of God’s Plan concisely and simply; “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

The Plan of God passed onto His Son, Jesus for completion!  All the sins of the world would be placed on the shoulders of the One and Only Son of God “who knew no sin,” the only One who qualified to remove the sins of the world. The prophets proclaimed His coming; but many turned a deaf ear to the Messiah who did indeed come “to seek and to save the lost”.  But that did not stop God from fulfilling His Plan. God never fails. God is faithful even when we are not.

Think about it; Emmanel, “God with us,” come to earth as “God in flesh, the walking Word of God.”  (John 1) Jesus sought out those who needed him most and gave real life to all who believed in Him.  Jesus, who passionately wanted to do the will of His Father, willingly and obediently laid down his life for ours in payment for all the sins of the world! Our sin nailed through his flesh to a cross to be forgiven and forgotten by God. Let this truth soak into our souls!

God gave us His Son as the sacrifice for our sin once and for all.  Jesus’s sacrifice changed everything for God’s created seeking to fill their empty hearts, confused minds, and dry, thirsty souls. God created within us a longing for Him. But our sin puts a black curtain between us and God. This wall prevents our longing for God to be filled. Upon Jesus’ words on the cross, “It is finished;” the curtain of separation was torn in two and full access to God was established forever for all who believe and repent of sins to Jesus. 

Ah, but Jesus’ death did not complete God’s Plan—Three days later, God raised His Son, Jesus from death to eternal Life—with scars still visible on His body as he appeared to His disciples and followers!  Jesus then became our Hope of eternal life by God resurrection power that is available to us!  Jesus told them to wait for this resurrection power, fueled by God’s Holy Spirit, who would come and take up residence in their hearts, minds, and souls forever to guide them to all Truth. AND, as believers  walk humbly with God, enthusiastically proclaiming the Good News of what Jesus did for “whoever” believes God/Jesus/Holy Spirit promised to be with us always!

God’s law, written on the hearts of those who believe, study, and live His Word as promised. Our bodies will become the Temple in which God’s Holy Spirit will dwell 24/7!  (1 Corinthians 6:19)  Even when our Temples come together in worship at a local house of prayer; Only God is to be worship and His Word is to be learned and applied as God speaks through his prophets—His spokespersons.  We call them pastors.

We see now that God’s plan for David to pass on the plans to Solomon for a brick and mortar Temple for pilgrims of the faith to come to Jerusalem for worship, prayer, seeking the atonement for sin was merely the beginning of God’s ultimate plan of redemption of all people of all nations!

From Father God to and through His Son, Jesus—salvation is offered freely to all who believe with a commitment to follow in the steps of our Savior as Lord of our lives forever. 

Lord,

I’m praying part of Psalm 119 to you this morning…

“I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees.
With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.
I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.
I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” Psalm 119:10-16

In Jesus Name, for our good, by your powerful help and for your glory, Amen!