The temple is to be a place of peace and tranquility, even during construction! According to 1 Corinthians, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" (NKJV) If God knows our thoughts, and if He blesses the peacemakers, how much should we assume that He really want to reside in a temple of war, strife, unforgiveness, revenge, hatred, gossip, ...? He puts up with us because He loves us, though He does set limits on how much He will allow. Do we really want to create a temple for Him where He simply tolerates us, or where He feels warmly welcomed? For me, this thought gives new light on the ugliness of our sins, if we haven't yet committed our lives to Christ, but even more so for those who have, me included.
"In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built." (1 Kings 6:7, NIV)
The temple is to be a place of peace and tranquility, even during construction! According to 1 Corinthians, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" (NKJV) If God knows our thoughts, and if He blesses the peacemakers, how much should we assume that He really want to reside in a temple of war, strife, unforgiveness, revenge, hatred, gossip, ...? He puts up with us because He loves us, though He does set limits on how much He will allow. Do we really want to create a temple for Him where He simply tolerates us, or where He feels warmly welcomed? For me, this thought gives new light on the ugliness of our sins, if we haven't yet committed our lives to Christ, but even more so for those who have, me included.
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"Jesus wept." (John 11:35, NIV, ESV, BSB, BLB, KJV, NKJV, NASB, NASB 1977, NASB 1995, AMP, CSB, HCSB, ASV, ERV, GNT, LSV, NET, NHEB, WNT, WEB, YLT, ... )
We know that Jesus felt compassion; the New Testament is full of references. The reason He came to this Earth was out of compassion! This story gives us a very real hope! We know that He had - and has- power over death, the death of Lazarus, His own death, others, and even ours. There were many eye witnesses who observed this resurrection and others: "11Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. 12A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. 14Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” 15Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother." (Luke 7, NLT) "49While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” 50But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” 51And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. 52And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” 53And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” 55And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. 56And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened." (Luke 8, ESV) "3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that He appeared to Cephasa and then to the Twelve. 6After that, He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8And last of all He appeared to me also, as to one of untimely birth. " (1 Corinthians 15, BSB) There are also recounts of resurrection in the Old Testament, but this is a short devotional, right? Today, our family has suffered a loss. May he be in the arms of our Lord. But there is a new void in our lives that will not be remedied, ever, as long as we live here on Earth. It was years ago, as we prepared for one of many funerals that I had a life-changing realization, for me, anyway. The measure of our grief is a portion of the measure of our love for those we've lost. At that time, I found myself able to thank God for my grief as it was certainly an indication of my love for the family member, but also for those who are also grieving. I can also take some comfort in knowing that God cares, that He is with us, and that "Jesus wept." He weeps with us still. Tears will not be removed from Heaven until after Jesus returns to us as shown in the future tense of the following: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Revelation 21:4, KJV) Oh, What a Day That Will Be. Lord God, please be with all who are grieving, now, and forever. Thank You for understanding our grief, for carrying us through, and for giving us Hope. Thank You, Jesus, that YOU are our Hope! We pray in Your Great Name, amen. "Now do it! For the Lord promised David, 'By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.'" (2 Samuel 3:18, NIV)
Preceded by this: "The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker." If the people knew who was going to win, was there any point in fighting? How does this apply to today? We know who wins in the end: "19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast--miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies." (Rev. 19, NLT) Have we chosen what side we want to be on? What about the church? "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought." (1 Cor 1:10, NIV) and "And having known their thoughts, He said to them, "Every kingdom having been divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house having been divided against itself will not stand." (Matt 12:25, BLB) Do you have a quarrel with someone at church? at work? within your household? with another believer? with another church? with the government? ouch. That one seems really relevant right now. Also, knowing from experience, that we can't seem to resolve every conflict ourselves. It really does take two to tango. But we are called "17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."" (Rom 12, NIV) We must do our best and trust God with the rest, but yes, we must seek peace as much as possible. Achish trusted David and said to himself, "He has become so obnoxious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant for life." (1 Samuel 27:12, NIV)
Who's side are you on, David? Can people see Who we represent, in our lives? Can there be any mistake? Was David truly seeking to do the Lord's will, here, or was his motivation to protect his life by hiding from Saul? Yes, God had commanded the total destruction of His enemies, but was that His preference? Can we trust God's Word in Hosea 6:6 (NIV): "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."? We know that God used His enemies in mighty ways, too, and typically extended mercy to the faithful, regardless of their nationality. "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15, NIV) God's Word is so powerful, that much of it can have multiple meanings. This one is about money, but can be about serving other "gods" as well. “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money." (Matthew 6:24, NLT) This one goes beyond money. Our self-preservation can be a form of self-worship, if we are not careful. "For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:" (Exodus 34:14, KJV). We are not to worship ourselves, but we are also not to neglect ourselves. "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" (1 Corinthians 6:19, NKJV) We should live a balanced life for God: "When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God." (1 Corinthians 10:31, CEV) "The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand" (1 Samuel 18:10, NIV)
Verses like this are very troubling. I personally cannot believe there is any evil in God, simply that He allows evil into our lives for a greater purpose that we cannot always see. As I shared the other day, I believe that it's more about God removing His protection for a time. I don't think He removes all of His protection, as we know that Satan is a murderer; "For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44, NLT) If Satan is a murderer, then we need God's protection to survive! As long as we are alive, He has not removed all of His protection! We can also know that nothing surprises God; "Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything." (1 John 3:20, NLT) So, we can know that God knows exactly when to protect and how much to protect to accomplish the good that He has planned for our lives. If/when you feel as though you're dealing with more than you can handle, please know another one of God's great promises, "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." (1 Corinthians 10:13, NLT) If you feel that you're dealing with more than you can handle, remember: "The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." (Psalm 145:18, ESV) Call on Him in truth! Let Him know that you are unsure of what to do! You want others to be honest with you - God wants us to be honest with HIM! It's a sign of friendship and respect! Also, remember that God has asked us to remind Him of His promises! I just found that link on this topic that explores this idea, even more deeply and felt that it was worth sharing. Whatever you are dealing with, whatever you are going through, you are not alone. Take it to God! But also remember that He gave us a community, which includes people who are very faithful prayer warriors, mentors, and even servants. By the way, in case you didn't know, the word minister means to serve. verb 1. attend to the needs of (someone). "her doctor was busy ministering to the injured" As one of the ministers in your life, please know that I am very strongly committed to serving God and His people in any way that I can. If you need to reach me, please don't hesitate. 226-231-0914 You are not alone and you are loved! |
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