Salt & Light Blog

Where Do We find Joy?

8/16/2020

According to Galatians 5:22-23 the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. For me, joy is not always easily found or expressed. But the fruit is meant to be expressed. So often I hear Christians tell one another they recognized them by the joy they convey, a joy that is not often seen outside of Christ. True joy cannot be found outside of God. Job 20:5 says, “that the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?” Joy is not happiness. It is not contingent on circumstances; it relies on who we are and how we perceive the world and our circumstances.
The fruit or results of having the Holy Spirit within us, of walking and acting in the Spirit is transformation to the image of Christ. The characteristics listed in Galatians 5:22-23 are characteristics of Christ. The verse goes on to say that “against these things, there is no law.” When our response is one of choosing to operate in Him, we will not sin. The law is not something we have to consider as we walk in the Spirit. We are freed from the law. Romans 8:1-2 reads, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” How awesome is that? How amazing? What a wonderful reason to rejoice! It seems so difficult for so many to give up the hold of the law though. They want the rules, as long as the rules fit their worldview. They want to know what they should do or shouldn’t do and they judge anyone who doesn’t go along with those rules, even when they, themselves often do not. But following Christ is not about rules, laws, or traditions, it is about seeking God and following Jesus which means walking in the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit means having the Spirit indwell you. It means choosing to do what He leads you to do rather than what your natural self, often called “the flesh” would choose to do. Romans 8:5-10 in The Living Bible says,
Those who let themselves be controlled by their lower natures live only to please themselves, but those who follow after the Holy Spirit find themselves doing those things that please God. 6 Following after the Holy Spirit leads to life and peace, but following after the old nature leads to death 7 because the old sinful nature within us is against God. It never did obey God’s laws and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their old sinful selves, bent on following their old evil desires, can never please God.
9 But you are not like that. You are controlled by your new nature if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that if anyone doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ living in him, he is not a Christian at all.)
In the ESV verses 6-7 read this way,
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.
To set one’s mind on the Spirit is a choice. We take part in whether we will think about the Spirit and what He wants for us or on our flesh or our basal desires and pride want. Are we choosing to be hostile to God or submissive to God? To choose to follow laws can still be hostility toward God. To follow laws without the Spirit is to feed one’s pride and that does not yield to God’s will for us. To set our minds on the Spirit and respond in the image of Christ is pleasing to God, glorifies God, and results in demonstrable and demonstrated love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, the fruit or results of the Holy Spirit in our lives and hearts.
We want happiness and mistakenly think joyful expression is the result of being happy. That is backward, happiness can be the result of joy but rarely if ever will mere happiness result in true lasting joy. Happiness is transitory since it is based on conditions, events, or situations. In fact, we can have joy even when we are going through difficulties. Psalm 27:5-7 reads,
For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will lift me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be lifted up
    above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
    be gracious to me and answer me!
You see David was in a day of trouble, yet he was praying and so he was able to worship, shout joyfully, and sing to God because as he sought God, God lifted David’s head. David understood that the Lord was his salvation through everything, that gave him joy. Believer, does that give you joy? No matter what is happening around you, God is your salvation.
Where is joy? Where do we find it? The answer is somewhat obvious but, obvious doesn’t always mean easily understood or accepted. We find joy in The Lord. In 1 Chronicles 16:27 when David is singing a song of praise to God, he says, “Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place.”
Once again, David was praising, he was seeking God. David was in God’s dwelling place and that is where he found strength and joy. The dwelling place of God was His Tabernacle and then the Temple, not a people but a tent and then a building. Now, the dwelling place of God is His church, it is His believers. Ephesians 2:18-22 tells us,
For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
We are joined together into a holy temple in the Lord, a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. The church is God’s dwelling place. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20). If you can’t find joy, maybe you need to ask yourself when the last time you were with the church, praising and worshipping, fellowshipping and learning. Perhaps you need to consider if you are seeking God or finding yourself. I mean if Jesus is right there with us when only two or three are gathered, how can we not rejoice? If He is there when just a few of us gather, how much more will His presence be encountered, experienced and expressed when there are twenty or one hundred and twenty gathered in His name?
Joy is found in God’s presence. Joy is expressed through praising him and worshipping Him. We know joy because we know God loves us and cares what happens to us. Psalm 35:27 says, “Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
Joy is found in courageous obedience to Jesus, serving Him and His glory, and being a good steward over what He gives us. In The Parable of the Talents, Jesus tells the story of three servants who were entrusted with money from their master. The first was given five talents, the second was given two talents, and the third was given one talent. Upon the master’s return, he found that the first and second servant had traded and doubled the master’s money. The third merely buried the money in the ground. The master took the talent from the third servant. He then told each of the first two servants, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:14-46).
Other kinds of obedience result in joy as well. Spreading the good news about Jesus and helping them by demonstrating His love gives us joy. But the greater joy, the best joy is knowing we are chosen and known by God; we are saved. When Jesus sent out seventy-two disciples, they came back rejoicing over the great things they had done in Jesus name. Luke 10:17-20 reads,
The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
Just after this Jesus prayed in the Holy Spirit. The Bible refers to this as rejoicing! Consider that when we pray in the Spirit, we are rejoicing. Also think about this, in this passage (Luke 10:21-24), as Jesus prays in the Spirit to the Father, God’s triunity is shown so gloriously to us and He invites us into that unity with Him.
In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
We rejoice over our salvation and Jesus’ revelation to us and to those He allows us to show Jesus to. We rejoice because we know Him and because we are known by Him! Do you understand this is The LORD, God Almighty, Creator, Lord of Hosts? He is God and He knows us, and He wants us to know Him! Praise God! That is a magnificent reason to be filled with joy.
There is so much more to say on this topic! Joy is a gift from God, it is a choice we are able make in the Holy Spirit. It is a blessing that we can and should openly express. I leave you with this benediction today.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

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Life of David Part 13: Choosing God’s Heart

8/29/2016

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And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

There are times when it seems that what we want must be God’s will. Perhaps we want a huge ministry to encourage missionaries, or we want to make a place for single mothers to rest, or build a church. These are all God-glorifying endeavors but sometimes we are not the people best-suited for the job. Sometimes God has someone else in mind for that ministry and something different for us.
David had brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel and he realized he lived in an amazing cedar home but the Ark stayed in a tent, the Tabernacle. He wanted to build a cedar house for the Ark. Let’s read about it in 2 Samuel 7. Verses 1-3 read,
Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2 the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” 3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”
David was excited for his idea. He checked with Nathan the prophet and Nathan was excited for the project and assumed God’s approval. Why wouldn’t God approve of being glorified with a home constructed of the finest Cedar? How often have we said to ourselves “God is with me, I should do whatever is in my heart?” Our plans are not always God’s plans, even when they appear to be what He would want. Verses 4-7 read,
But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7 In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’

First, though David had the idea and not a command, and Nathan presumed God’s approval rather than inquire, The Lord was gentle with them both. He spoke to Nathan in a dream and gave him the message for David. He could have given David the message directly since David was also a prophet (Acts 3:20). But he included Nathan in the honor of receiving His Word and discipline.
God told David and Nathan He had never had a ‘house’ before and He had done His great works, miracles, and care for His people without having one. He had never asked for one. Sometimes we think we are doing something great for God. But what can we do for God, really? God doesn’t need us to do a thing for Him. It is His people He wants us to do and care for. What could we imagine God needs from us? Stephen said it this way in Acts 7:48-50,
Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,
49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
    or what is the place of my rest?
50 Did not my hand make all these things?’
We do not find God by doing what we assume He needs. He doesn’t need anything. We find God by seeking what He wants and wills. We repent. We abide in Him, spend time with Him, read His Word, listen to Him, and share our heart with Him as He shares His heart with us. We draw close to Him and He will draw close to us (James 4:8). Paul said it this way in Acts 17:24-28,
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for
“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your own poets have said,
“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

God had chosen David for an important job. He had chosen someone else to build His Temple. If David had built it, it would not have been as God commanded. It would have taken Solomon’s job away from Him. David was not right for the job of building the Temple. Other than already having a great job for God, he was disqualified from building the Temple because he was a warrior as God had made him. God wanted no human blood or war on the Temple. He wanted the Temple to be built by His provision not men’s efforts. He wanted a house of peace and prayer. In 1 Chronicles 28:2-5 David said,
“Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building. 3 But God said to me, ‘You may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ 4 Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me from all my father's house to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah my father's house, and among my father's sons he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel.
David, the warrior king, the shepherd king, and the man after God’s own heart had been chosen to establish Israel’s throne to seed the Messiah who would be the Eternal King and Lion of Judah. Verses 8-11a read,
Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel.

God had great plans for David and he was fulfilling them. He had great plans for the Davidic line as well; The Messiah would come out of this line. The Lord spoke and gave David a beautiful promise about the Messiah Jesus and also about David’s son Solomon Verses 11b-14a read,
And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.

The Lord doesn’t need anything from you or me! He gives us rest. He builds us a house. Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.  In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” (John 14:1-4).
Jesus gave us His Holy Spirit and established His house in us to dwell in us. We are the Temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16). In doing so, He cares for us and He sanctifies us. That requires love and discipline. God becomes our Father and we His sons and daughters. Verses 14-17 read,
I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

David wanted to build the Temple. But that wasn’t the plans God had for him. David was disappointed but God had encouraged the king by reminding him of his great purpose and by telling him the Temple would be built by his son. God had encouraged David by showing him a glimpse of Jesus. He encouraged the king by telling him it would be He who made a house for David and not David who made a house for God.
Why would God allow one person to do what you desire to do, but not you? David’s prayer of praise to God answers that for us. Verses 18-21 read,
Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! 20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! 21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it.

The Lord showed David His greatness. He showed Israel His greatness and He showed the world His greatness. God will be glorified through His promises, through His will and through our obedience to Him. Maybe you want to begin that ministry, but maybe God wants Susie B to have that ministry because He knows the future and how it will flourish and be done as He wants in her hands. He has something different for you that will thrive in your hands and glorify Him all the more. God is bigger and better than we can imagine! He knows more and He knows better. He will let you become who you are meant to be (the image of Christ) and He will have you fulfill your purposes if you submit to His will, not yours. Verses 22-29 read,
Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? 24 And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. 25 And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. 26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27 For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29 Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”

Believer, God has made you promises. God has made a new covenant with you. Trust Him to keep His word and complete His work in you. Be about your Father’s business, and let Him make His business yours.

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Deuteronomy 12 Worship The Lord Your God, not Worship the Lord, You’re God

3/5/2016

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And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47

Deuteronomy 12
There seems to be a common thought today that it does not matter how or where one worships God; however and wherever one chooses to worship is okay. This is the excuse for going to the beach, the farmer’s market, the theme park, or anywhere else instead of fellowshipping and studing the word of God. Which of the activities that you are doing are constituting your worship? Is it buying tomatoes, jogging, pushing your child on a swing, or eating ice cream? I have worshipped at the beach, on a hike, or sitting on the front porch. I have done things at the farmer’s market, the theme park, and the restaurant that would please God. I do strive to live a life of worship. But living a life of worship does not preclude The Lord’s commands regarding worship.
Under the Old Covenant there were specific rules for worship and under the New Covenant there are still some commandments that pertain to worship. The Lord knew Israel would be tempted to worship in ways that were abhorrent to Him. He had laid down the Law very specifically and now He had Moses remind Israel about the Law before they went in to take the Promised Land. Verses 1-7 read,
“These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. 2 You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. 3 You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place.4 You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way. 5 But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, 6 and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. 7 And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.”
First Israel had to destroy every vestige of idolatry in their new country. They had to completely obliterate all the altars, Asherim poles, and idols. You and I too when we come to the Lord are to abolish our old way of life, our idolatry, remove ourselves as regent of our heart and make Jesus the Lord of our lives.
Israel was told that there would be one place of worship, one city where God would put His name and he would inhabit that place. That was where they would place the Tabernacle and worship. I can hear you protesting now, “but today believers are the Temple of God!” Yes, that is true, we are. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says,
“Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.”
You are God’s holy temple but that doesn’t mean that you can call any practice you do, worship. A temple can be desecrated with unholy practices. 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 says it this way,
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
You can go into the world and you can eat what you like and do what you like, beneficial or detrimental and not be defiled. Other people cannot defile you. You can defile you though. Jesus explained it this way in Matthew 15:16-20,
“And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
Your words, your choices, your actions can defile you. Your heart can defile you. What you say and do reveals who sits on the throne of your heart, The One True God or you. If you sit on the throne, you are desecrating the temple with idolatry. The world says, “If it’s right for me, it’s right.” That is the I-theism of Satanism. If you think something is right, it does not make it right. God is The LORD. There is one Truth, one Way, and one Life; He is Jesus Christ. How can there be multiple truths? Verses 8-19 read,
“You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes, 9 for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the Lord your God is giving you. 10 But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety, 11 then to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord. 12 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male servants and your female servants, and the Levite that is within your towns, since he has no portion or inheritance with you.13 Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place that you see, 14 but at the place that the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I am commanding you.
15 “However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your towns, as much as you desire, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you. The unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and as of the deer. 16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out on the earth like water. 17 You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you vow, or your freewill offerings or the contribution that you present, 18 but you shall eat them before the Lord your God in the place that the Lord your God will choose, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your towns. And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all that you undertake.19 Take care that you do not neglect the Levite as long as you live in your land.”
God gave you His name. He indwelled you. He gave you His rest. He chose to make you His Temple. And so anywhere you go can be a place of worship and should be. Worship is meant to be joyful. But it is also meant to include certain aspects. We bring the Lord offerings. We bring sacrifices. In Hebrews 13:14-18, the author wrote,
“For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.”
Praise, doing good, and sharing are sacrifices pleasing to God. All those things require “one anothers” to do. Who are we acknowledging Christ to if we are alone? Furthermore, the author tells us to obey and submit to leaders. We have to be in a local body to have leaders to submit to.
Many things we do can be done as worship, but not every act is an act of worship. Calling an act worship doesn’t make it worship. As you play beach volleyball are you really worshipping the Lord? Is riding a rollercoaster an offering to God? Is reaching the finish line of a race truly exalting the Lord? None of those things are sinful. The sin comes when you tell yourself that you are worshipping God by doing them. Some of those things can be worship, but don’t lie to yourself about it. You can’t lie to God about your motivations, don’t lie to yourself.
Even eating a meal can be worship to God. Slapping a ritually spoken “God bless this food” doesn’t make it worship, but the attitude it is done with. But there are some aspects of worship that must be done as The Lord prescribed or they become twisted into idolatry. Verses 20-28 read,
“When the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he has promised you, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because you crave meat, you may eat meat whenever you desire. 21 If the place that the Lord your God will choose to put his name there is too far from you, then you may kill any of your herd or your flock, which the Lord has given you, as I have commanded you, and you may eat within your towns whenever you desire. 22 Just as the gazelle or the deer is eaten, so you may eat of it. The unclean and the clean alike may eat of it. 23 Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh. 24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the earth like water. 25 You shall not eat it, that all may go well with you and with your children after you, when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord. 26 But the holy things that are due from you, and your vow offerings, you shall take, and you shall go to the place that the Lord will choose, 27 and offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of the Lord your God. The blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the Lord your God, but the flesh you may eat. 28 Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.”
So going to the beach instead of church is not worshipping the Lord. Going to the beach as church can be worship. Since you are the Temple of God, you can bring the holy things with you. You can bring your offerings and sacrifices with you and do them at the beach, on the mountain, or at a park. Why is going to any of those places instead of church not worship? Because the Lord has set and approved certain acts of corporate worship and He expects us to worship together regularly. Hebrews 10:19-25 describes a lifestyle of worship.
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
We are also given guidelines for the way our corporate worship should flow. Read it and consider if you are obeying your Lord when you skip church to worship the Lord elsewhere. 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 reads,
“What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 27 If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
As in all the churches of the saints,”
Acts 2:42-47 also describes the way fellowship should look. We are expected to be devoted to the teaching of the apostles (the scriptures), fellowship, breaking of bread (The Lord’s Supper), and prayers.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
It is too easy to think that because we are the temple of God we can do whatever feels right and call it worship. Putting the sun, nature, a comfortable bed, or a TV show ahead of The Lord and the fellowship of brothers is worshipping those things. It is idolatry. Verses 29-32 read,
“When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, 30 take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ 31 You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.
32 “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.”
Get rid of every last trace of idolatry, of your old self and do not give into the world’s idea of worship. The world is not your church. The beach is not your temple. The Lord is not in the forest. He is either sitting on the throne of your heart or you are. Be careful. Look how easy it is to accept false doctrines as true, how long before worshipping the way the world worships becomes something as monstrous as sacrificing children or as detestable as sex slavery? Don’t even look into why Joe Schmo says he can worship his god anywhere because the whole world is the temple of god.
Believer, consider who it is you are worshipping. Are you an I-theist, doing what pleases you or are you a child of God doing what pleases your Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, and Wonderful Counselor?

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2 Kings 12 Stewardship and Care for the Temple, the Priest, and the City of God

2/1/2016

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Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

2 Kings 12
Jehoash was a child of seven years old when he began to rule Judah as her king. He had been rescued from his grandmother’s homicidal rampage and hidden and raised in The Temple by his aunt, Jehosheba and the priest Jehoiada. The influences of his father and the rest of his family had been eradicated and The Lord chose this child to bring Judah back to Him. Verses 1-3 describe Jehoash’s reign
“In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places.”
He was a good king, who pleased The Lord, but perhaps in his naivety he left the high places and so idolatry still continued. Perhaps Jehoiada chose not to teach him this one thing for his own reason. But whatever the reason those idolatrous altars remained. Being raised in the temple and taught by Jehoiada gave Jehoash a zeal for God’s house. The Temple had fallen into disrepair over the years. As a king who loved The Lord and his Temple, Jehoash couldn’t let it stay in that condition. He understood that the Temple represented God’s footstool, His presence with the people, and the vehicle for proper worship.
Maintaining God’s house is just as important as taking care of His servants. Today, we are the house of God and maintaining His house includes the building where His church meets but also the body and soul which He indwells. We have to be diligent about how we build onto it and take care of it. 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 says it this way,
“According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.”
Maintaining the Temple requires us to learn and teach the truth. Jesus Christ is our foundation but sanctification doesn’t leave us as bared foundations, no matter how beautiful and perfect it is. Jesus establishes us and The Holy Spirit indwells us and grows us. Who would come to worship The Lord at a temple that only had a floor, no roof to shield, no windows to shine light, no walls to protect, no posts to support, or doors to invite people in? The building is what reflects the beauty and perfection of the foundation. It summons people to come. Our lives and our good works are the decorations of the Temple. Jesus is zealous for His Father’s house (John 2:13-17). He is zealous for us! We, as His ambassadors ought to be just as zealous for one another, His temple.
Well Jehoash was zealous for God’s temple too but no work was being done. He had ordered certain monies to go to its upkeep but nothing was happening. Verses 6-12 read,
“But by the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, the priests had made no repairs on the house. 7 Therefore King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said to them, “Why are you not repairing the house? Now therefore take no more money from your donors, but hand it over for the repair of the house.” 8 So the priests agreed that they should take no more money from the people, and that they should not repair the house.
9 Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in the lid of it and set it beside the altar on the right side as one entered the house of the Lord. And the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord. 10 And whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest, the king's secretary and the high priest came up and they bagged and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord.11 Then they would give the money that was weighed out into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the Lord. And they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house of the Lord, 12 and to the masons and the stonecutters, as well as to buy timber and quarried stone for making repairs on the house of the Lord, and for any outlay for the repairs of the house.”
The priests were not able to make the repairs because they were not qualified, they lacked the skills. But all those years instead of telling the king that, they just kept letting things go as they had before. The king’s intervention made it possible for them to understand and redirect the appropriate funds to go to the temple and to hire the men who had the skills required for the job.
We cannot fix the problems in our own temples. We cannot erase sin. We cannot save ourselves. Our souls and our bodies require the King’s intervention. Jesus came in and saved us and made us righteous. He then gave us His Holy Spirit to renovate us and bring us ‘up to code.’ Until the temple is as God means it to be we can’t add the accoutrements required for holy worship. We get the foundation laid first, then the building made as it should be, then and only then do we add the fixtures, furniture, and decorations. So it was with the temple repairs of Jehoash’s day. Verses 13-16 read,
“But there were not made for the house of the Lord basins of silver, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, or any vessels of gold, or of silver, from the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, 14 for that was given to the workmen who were repairing the house of the Lord with it. 15 And they did not ask for an accounting from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to pay out to the workmen, for they dealt honestly. 16 The money from the guilt offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the Lord; it belonged to the priests.”
The money meant for the Temple went to the Temple and the money meant for the priests went to the priests. There was no shortage of provision for the priests in order to care for the Temple. When we take care of the things of the Kingdom as we are meant to do, when we obey, seek God’s word, love one another, and diligently work out our salvation, The Lord provides perfectly. We do not have to worry about how to eat or what to wear, God’s got it (Matthew 6:25-34). We make sure we are building the Temple, the Church with Truth and God covers everything. We seek knowledge, wisdom, and righteousness and He gives it. Along with that He provides, not meagerly but lavishly. He is Good! Proverbs 3:13-18 describes it like this,
“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
    and the one who gets understanding,
14 for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
    and her profit better than gold.
15 She is more precious than jewels,
    and nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
    in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
    and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
    those who hold her fast are called blessed.”
In other words, Seek God, His wisdom and truth and He will give it to you, along with health, provision, honor, peace, and joy. This was how it was for Jehoash as well. God provided for the Temple work, He provided for the priests and the people and He provided for the peace. Verses 17-18 read,
“At that time Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath and took it. But when Hazael set his face to go up against Jerusalem, 18 Jehoash king of Judah took all the sacred gifts that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah his fathers, the kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own sacred gifts, and all the gold that was found in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent these to Hazael king of Syria. Then Hazael went away from Jerusalem.”
The Syrian king Hazael seemed bent on war. He decided to go against Jerusalem, God’s very own possession who were following and pleasing the Lord. But Jehoash gathered the sacred gifts, the treasures dedicated to The Lord by himself and his great grandfather, grandfather, and father and gave them to Hazael. He said, “Here ya go, no need to spill blood. God’s riches are more than enough.” Jehoash trusted God enough to know that he could afford to give those treasures to Syria because God’s riches are as inexhaustible as God is. God had put it in Jehoash’s heart to restore the Temple. A war would have taken away from that endeavor. That war was for other kings to fight, not Jehoash. He did what was pleasing in the sight of The Lord. He ardently carried out his mission, the ministry God had given him and let The Lord take care of all the stuff of life. Verses 19-21 describe his death.
“Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20 His servants arose and made a conspiracy and struck down Joash in the house of Millo, on the way that goes down to Silla. 21 It was Jozacar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, who struck him down, so that he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Amaziah his son reigned in his place.”
Jehoash was killed in the end so that his son could reign in his place. It was not Amaziah’s plan to murder his father, a good king who like so many others did not remove the high places (2 Kings 14:1-6). Maybe it was Jehoash’s toleration of the high places that let evil into the hearts of the servants who killed him. He took care of the Temple so that he and others could worship and honor the Lord, but he didn’t stop others form committing idolatry.
Believer, what is the state of your temple? Does it have the firm foundation of Jesus Christ? Does it have the pillars of truth to hold up the roof and walls? Is it cracked with misinformation? Does its beauty invite people to come?

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JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH –The LORD is There.

10/2/2015

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Ezekiel 48:30-35 reads,
“These shall be the exits of the city: On the north side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, 31 three gates, the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi, the gates of the city being named after the tribes of Israel.32 On the east side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan. 33 On the south side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun. 34 On the west side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali. 35 The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.”
The New Jerusalem is called Jehovah-Shammah. The LORD is there. The LORD is not just with His church in a general ‘feel good’ way. No, He (The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is with us in a very real manifest way. He is in us and around us, but we also have the privilege of fellowship or communion with God. We are not separated by a veil, it is not only the high priest who may enter into the holy of holies once a year, where God rested His feet on the footstool. We can boldly approach His throne, where He is seated! The high priest would enter that room with trepidation, having performed rites and sacrifices of atonement so he could perform the rites over Israel. Isaiah 66:1-2 reads,
“Thus says the Lord:
“Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
    and what is the place of my rest?
2 All these things my hand has made,
    and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
    he who is humble and contrite in spirit
    and trembles at my word.”
But we can boldly approach God’s throne. We have full assurance that we are forgiven. We have Jesus Christ who lived, died, and rose again. He is compassionate toward us. Hebrews 4:14-16 read,
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Believer, you have God abiding in you. You have His very present help. (Psalm 46:1). You have His friendship, blessings, provisions, authority, and salvation. Believer, you have full and complete friendship with Him. As Jesus’ friend, he gave you authority to do great works in love of people. Because you and I are to love people the way, our King loves people. John 15:12-17 reads,
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”
In the old days, God’s people were His servants, but we have been elevated to friends who can confidently approach His throne and ask Him anything. That is pretty awesome! We are completely united, enmeshed with God and with one another. In John 17:20-26 Jesus said it like this,
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
Do you see how we are so absolutely united with God, so intricately interwoven and enmeshed that He is always with us? We can lean away from Him, we can feel far off from Him but He never leaves us.
Revelation 21:1-3 describes The New Jerusalem this way,
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people and God himself will be with them as their God.”
Believer, this city is your promise. You are the city of God! It is for you. God assured you time and again He would always be with you. He will never forsake you. Isaiah 60:19-20 illustrates our promise this way,
“The sun shall be no more
    your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
    give you light;
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun shall no more go down,
    nor your moon withdraw itself;
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your days of mourning shall be ended.”
Remember you are the dwelling place of God, you are the Temple of God. (1 Corinthians 3:36-17). He is There! Believer, you may sometimes feel alone, but that is a lie. God is with you. Go ahead and acknowledge His presence, His beautiful glorious actual presence with you. You are His People and He is your God.

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1 Kings 12:25-33 Beware False Prophets, the Spirit of the Antichrist is Rampant.

9/28/2015

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Matthew 7:13-14 on photo of Garden Trellis by Donna Campbell

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14

1 Kings 12:25-33
Not everything that looks like worship is worship of The One True Living God. Not everything that looks like Christianity is of Jesus our Christ. People can, even with good intentions, twist, misinterpret, or misunderstand scripture and make something out of it that is not there. Some people just flagrantly make up their own system of worship, rules, or rituals either for their own gain or out of misguided notions of “good.” Be careful! Looking and sounding Christian doesn’t make it Christian. If it does not proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, then it is not from God but from the enemy. (1 John 4:3).
King Jeroboam had a predicament. Israel needed to worship God, but to do that they had to travel to the Temple in Jerusalem which was in Judah. He knew when the people went there, they would want to reunite with Judah under the Davidic king and abandon and kill him. So he had a plan. Verses 28-30 read,

“So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” 29 And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30 Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one.”

Although clearly not the worship God had prescribed it looked and sounded like it could be godly. People didn’t question, people didn’t look to scripture, people didn’t remember that the golden calf Aaron had made was an idol and had caused war within Israel leading to the deaths of 3,000 people. (Exodus 32). Israel simply accepted Jeroboam’s word and it looked enough like their religion to seem okay. We are told to question. We are told to test what is being fed to us. 1 John 4:1-6 reads,
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

But Jeroboam didn’t stop with the sin of the golden calves in place of The Temple. Verses 31-33 read,
“He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites. 32 And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made. 33 He went up to the altar that he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month that he had devised from his own heart. And he instituted a feast for the people of Israel and went up to the altar to make offerings.”

The feast Jeroboam instituted was a perversion of The Feast of Tabernacles, a feast that required the Temple which Israel no longer had access to. It was a celebratory feast of thanksgiving and fellowship and very prominent in proper worship of The Lord. Solomon had dedicated the Temple during The Feast of the Tabernacles and Jeroboam needed what he did to look godly in order to lead the people away from The Lord and to him and his new system. Jeroboam was not only king of Israel, but he set himself up as high priest of his new religion and appointed non-Levite priests who would not question or inquire of The Lord for the truth.
His actions are a shadow of the coming antichrist. Jeroboam seemed like a good king to the people of Israel. He made them believe that their lives under God’s appointed king Solomon had been terrible. He had made them think Solomon’s yoke had been heavy. (1 Kings 12:4). But the fact was that the prosperity in Israel had been great. (1 Kings 10:21). And even the forced labor of building the Temple and palace had not been drawn from Israelites. (1 Kings 9:22). Jeroboam lied to the people with a silk tongue and the people believed his lies because he spoke to their vanity.
Consider this, Jeroboam was king of the Northern Kingdom, ten tribes of Israel. Revelation 13:1-2 describe the antichrist, the beast this way,

“And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.”

The antichrist empowered by Satan will rule ten nations. This is not the only similarity. Jeroboam made a new festival to replace The Feast of the Tabernacles, he changed the date by a month.
Daniel 7:23-25 describe him like this,

“Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast,
there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,
which shall be different from all the kingdoms,
and it shall devour the whole earth,
and trample it down, and break it to pieces.
24 As for the ten horns,
out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,
and another shall arise after them;
he shall be different from the former ones,
and shall put down three kings.
25 He shall speak words against the Most High,
and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,
and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand
for a time, times, and half a time.”

The people didn’t have to fall for Jeroboam’s lies and so sin right along with him. They could have prayed. They could have asked the prophets to inquire of God. (There were prophets in the Northern kingdom, tomorrow we’ll read about one of them.) The prophets could have spoken up. The Levites could have spoken up. The people could have checked the scriptures with the help of the Levites to see that Jeroboam was distorting God and creating an idol.
But they didn’t. They would pay for their sin of deliberant ignorance. Be careful there are false teachers, false prophets, and false religions. They sound good, but are corrupt. They seem like they lead to Truth, but they are lies which lead to death. Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:13-23.

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

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1 Kings 9 Jesus and The Promises of The Temple of God

9/25/2015

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And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. Revelation 21:22-23

1 Kings 9

It is truly an amazing feat that Solomon built God such a magnificent house. As long as Solomon’s Temple stood it was known by his name. For all of the things Solomon did during his reign, he is best remembered for The First Temple. It stood for 400 years until destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. 70 years later Ezra and Nehemiah, understanding how important the Temple was to Israel built the Second Temple which was eventually modified by Herod and then destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.

Solomon was a good king and God honored him as Solomon honored The Lord. It is really something that The Lord appeared to Solomon, but off the chain that He would appear to him twice. The promise He gave Solomon was very special and good, but it was better for us. Verses 1-3 read,

“As soon as Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king's house and all that Solomon desired to build, 2 the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 And the Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.”

What an amazing promise! Believer, do you know that it applies to you too? Read it again and remember that you are the temple of God. (1 Corinthians 3:16).

“I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house (You) …, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.” What name did He put there? His, Jesus Christ! His eyes (His attention) and His heart (His love and will) will be there for All time. Romans 10:13 reads,

“For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

But The Lord had more to say to Solomon. He reiterated what He had told David and Solomon before. God is wonderful like continuously reminding us of His Word and His will. Verses 4-7 read,

“And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, 5 then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ 6 But if you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight, and Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.”

While God kept His word, David and Solomon’s descendants did not keep theirs. Many of Israel’s and Judah’s kings did evil in the sight of the Lord. The Davidic line ended earthly rule with Zedikiah. It is impossible for man to keep the Law of Moses perfectly. That is why we need Jesus. (Galatians 3:10-14). Jesus was not a plan B, He was the plan from the beginning. (2 Timothy 1:8-10). Jesus the King of Kings and Son of God who was born a direct descendent of David was on the throne from the beginning. (Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:23-38).

The Lord continued His promise in verses 8-9,

“And this house will become a heap of ruins. Everyone passing by it will be astonished and will hiss, and they will say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ 9 Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord their God who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore the Lord has brought all this disaster on them.’”

Many of the Davidic Line, the King’s after Solomon who ruled Judah did evil in the sight of God and so this promise was kept.

Jesus predicted it as well, Mark 13:1-2 reads,

“And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Because of Jesus, by 70 A.D. the Temple had outlived its purpose and it was destroyed by the Romans. Jesus transcends the need of an earthly house of God. When He showed His zealous love for The Father and The Temple by ordering the money changers and sellers out of it, He was asked for a sign to prove He had authority to do such a thing and call God His Father. He answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19). Today we understand He was talking about His crucifixion and resurrection, just as His disciples remembered His words after His resurrection. (John 2:18-22).

The Temple could lay in ruins because it was a temporary shadow of a heavenly truth. You and I are the Temple of God today. And when we reside in the eternity of New Jerusalem we will be in the presence of God in a way we can only imagine and practice here and now. There will be no Temple in New Jerusalem, Jesus Himself, The Lord God Almighty will be there and He will be the Temple! Revelation 21:9-21 give a sunning and beautiful description of New Jerusalem, but verses 22-27 top that description with the best part.

“And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.”

Solomon did many good and great things during his reign. He built a great Temple and God promised him wonderful things. God kept every promise, even when men did not. His promises were so much more than Solomon in all his wisdom could ever grasp. Believer, do not forget who you are, who dwells in you and with you, and where you will dwell in eternity.

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1 Kings 8 The Temple Made a Way for God to Dwell with Men

9/24/2015

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John 14:6-7 on photo of clouds over The Mississippi Rover by Donna Campbell

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7

1 Kings 8

Finally Solomon had finished building the Temple and it was ready for its purpose. That purpose was to make a way for The Lord to dwell with men. Only one thing had to be done to finalize it, and that was to bring the Ark of the Covenant into the Holy of Holies. It was a big occasion and Solomon did it just as The Lord deserved it to be done. Verses 1-5 read,

“Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. 2 And all the men of Israel assembled to King Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. 4 And they brought up the ark of the Lord, the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. 5 And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered.”

This was as festive and serious as any occasion could be. The sacrificing of the sheep and oxen was for the cleansing of sin, for peace, fellowship, and thanksgiving. It prepared Israel for The Lord. It made it possible for them to draw near to The Lord as The Ark made its way from the Tabernacle to the Temple. Our sin has separated us from God (Isaiah 59:1-3). So Solomon, the priests and the entire assembly atoned for their sins and made the sacrifices necessary for that atonement.

When the priests placed the Ark in the holy place, God gave them the sign of His presence. Verses 10-11 read,

“And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.”

Today, we are the Temple of God, and before He indwells us with His Word and therefore His presence, He cleanses us of all our sin, once and for all. It is not by the blood of sheep and oxen but the blood of Jesus Christ. The Temple, the altar, and the sacrifices were all shadows of Jesus and precursors to the Glory of our Savior. Hebrews 9:23-36 reads,

“Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”

And we do not need a cloud thick with God’s glory to tell us that God is with us. We have The Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13-14). And He manifests in gifts and a change of character. (Galatians 5:22-23). 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 reads,

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

Solomon couldn’t help but express his gratitude. Verses 21-22 read,

“Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21 And there I have provided a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

Then Solomon prayed. Verses 27-30 are a portion of that prayer.

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! 28 Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, 29 that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. 30 And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.”

God didn’t need the Temple, He didn’t require man. The Temple was for Israel’s benefit, not His. Stephen said the same thing in his speech to the High Priest and council, when he was seized. Acts 7:44-51 reads,

“Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen.45 Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, 46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him. 48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,

49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is the place of my rest?
50 Did not my hand make all these things?’

51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.”

The Temple gave people a way to connect with God, a way to pray to Him, repent for sin, and be forgiven of sin. We do not need the Temple, the altar or the Ark. The Ark held the Law of Moses, it was the Mercy Seat, and the footstool of God. (1 Chronicles 28:2). We have Jesus, We have been given The Holy Spirit. We are the Temple of God. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Jesus is our Mercy Seat. The Mercy Seat was the place where the high priest sprinkled the blood for the propitiation of sin. Romans 3:24-25 reads,

“and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins”

Solomon then gave a benediction to the people. A benediction is a good word, a blessing, and often a prophetic truth spoken in worship of the Lord. Verses 56-61,

“Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. 57 The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us,58 that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers.59 Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires, 60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other. 61 Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”

God was with Israel through the Temple. He is with us through Jesus Christ. He has given us rest. Every word of Solomon’s benediction is true for us because of the grace of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Hebrews 4:9-13 reads,

“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

When Jesus ascended to Heaven, He gave us the Great Commission and a promise. Matthew 28:18-20 reads,

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The purpose of The Temple was so that God could dwell with man. It was a foretaste of Emmanuel, God With Us, Jesus. God Himself, the Father, the Son, and The Holy Spirit are in us and we are in Him. We are indelibly united with Him. John 14:18-21 reads,

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

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1 Kings 7 What Can I Learn from Solomon's House and God's Temple

9/23/2015

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1 Corinthians 3:16-17 on Photo of Donna & Richie by Lani Campbell

1 Kings 7

I have to admit, I read this chapter and I wanted to pass it by as useless, even more so than a “begat list.” I could not see what a description of Solomon’s palace or the furnishings of The Temple could possibly teach me. And so I prayed, “Reveal yourself to me Lord. Reveal yourself in your word, please.”

After Solomon finished building the temple, he turned his attention to building his palace, his home, and the buildings that would make up his home. Solomon had a zeal for finery. He had made the Temple a majestic place and his home and palace were almost as majestic. He spared no expense on it. The buildings were huge, they were made of the best materials, they were beautiful, and they were made to be enjoyed. Verses 6-12 in The Message describe some of the buildings.

“He built a colonnaded courtyard seventy-five feet long and forty-five wide. It had a roofed porch at the front with ample eaves.

7 He built a court room, the Hall of Justice, where he would decide judicial matters, and paneled it with cedar.

8 He built his personal residence behind the Hall on a similar plan. Solomon also built another one just like it for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.

9-12 No expense was spared—everything here, inside and out, from foundation to roof was constructed using high-quality stone, accurately cut and shaped and polished. The foundation stones were huge, ranging in size from twelve to fifteen feet, and of the very best quality. The finest stone was used above the foundation, shaped to size and trimmed with cedar. The courtyard was enclosed with a wall made of three layers of stone and topped with cedar timbers, just like the one in the porch of The Temple of God.”

God is not a mediocre god. He is Great, Perfect, and Awesome. He is lavish in all He does. Nothing He is, is halfway, only okay, or just alright. He is our All in All. Solomon built his home not for the temporary, but for an entire life, a life to be lived with joy, with worship, and with zeal. Our God is a God of joy. Psalm 16:11 says,

“You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

His houses were gorgeous but The Temple of the Lord was going to be exquisite. Solomon brought a man Hiram from Tyre to oversee all the work on the Temple. This was not the king who had delivered the timber, but a man considered to be full of wisdom and understanding the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali whose father had been a bronze worker. (Verses 13-14).

Every wall and pillar was decorated with intricate bronze work. Two pillars are described in verses 17-20.

“There were lattices of checker work with wreaths of chain work for the capitals on the tops of the pillars, a lattice for the one capital and a lattice for the other capital. 18 Likewise he made pomegranates in two rows around the one latticework to cover the capital that was on the top of the pillar, and he did the same with the other capital. 19 Now the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars in the vestibule were of lily-work, four cubits. 20 The capitals were on the two pillars and also above the rounded projection which was beside the latticework. There were two hundred pomegranates in two rows all around, and so with the other capital.”

The Tabernacle, the Temple and everything in it and about it has always represented Jesus Christ and the Salvation that can only come from Him. Solomon made additions to the Temple that the Tabernacle didn’t have and couldn’t accommodate. One of those improvements was the sea of cast metal. A large bronze pool where the priests could wash and perform cleansing rituals to replace the bronze laver that Moses had built for the Tabernacle. The laver had been big enough only to wash the priests’ hands and feet. But the sea was huge, fifteen feet across, seven and a half feet tall, and forty-five feet around and held about 11,500 gallons of water. It sat on top of twelve bronze oxen and was shaped like a cup.

What did it mean? It was certainly not only for washing feet and hands. It is a representation of the Red Sea where the Egyptian army was drowned. It is an illustration of The Holy Spirit, the rebirth of a soul, the cleansing transformation of Salvation. It is a picture of Jesus Christ, His redemptive blood, poured out for us. Solomon was not only a king, like his father David, he was a prophet.

But for the Vestibule and the Holy of Holies the work was even more superb. Solomon didn’t simply put the furnishings from the Tabernacle into the Temple, he made everything except the Ark and Mercy Seat new. Verses 48-50 read,

“So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of the Lord: the golden altar, the golden table for the bread of the Presence, 49 the lampstands of pure gold, five on the south side and five on the north, before the inner sanctuary; the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of gold; 50 the cups, snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and fire pans, of pure gold; and the sockets of gold, for the doors of the innermost part of the house, the Most Holy Place, and for the doors of the nave of the temple.”

The Tabernacle had been where God’s presence had rested and where the priests had performed the rites before. It was a tent, a temporary place that had done its job for over 450 years. But The Temple was better, it was meant to last. And it would, but not eternally. When Jesus came The Temple and the priestly duties were no longer necessary. In John 2:19-22 Jesus said,

“Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.”

Jesus also foretold the destruction of The Temple. Mark 13:1-2 reads,

“And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

That happened in 70 A.D. the fulfilment of the prophecy and the end of the ability to accomplish the Levitical law in order to be cleansed from one’s sins. Now it is we who are the Holy Temple of God. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

When Solomon finally completed the Temple, he brought in all treasure that David had dedicated. Verse 51 reads,

“Thus all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, the silver, the gold, and the vessels, and stored them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.”

David wanted to build the Temple but God told him, no, he was not qualified and he had chosen Solomon for the job. Solomon was exactly the right one for it. But that didn’t mean that David didn’t prepare for the Temple. That didn’t mean he wasn’t just as excited about the mission as God was. It was God’s work and so David did his part, even when his part was not what he had hoped for.

We all have jobs assigned to us, and occasionally they are not the glorious ones we hoped for. Sometimes we are called to clean the toilet when we want to make eloquent speeches. Romans 12:4-5 reads,

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”

Believer, we are The Body of Christ and the Temple of God. He made us exquisitely. Imagine if a mere man could make such a glorious Temple, how splendid the temple created by The Lord God is. That is you! You are the marvelous temple of God created with lavish endowments for His service, joy, and eternity.

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1 King’s 5-6 Solomon’s Mission was to Build the Temple and He Took it Seriously

9/22/2015

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1 Kings 5 & 6

When God has a mission for you and you take it seriously, He makes a way for you to complete it well. He provides the way and feeds your passion for it. And oh, you will have passion for the ministry, mission, or message He has for you. Some people know what it is God has purposed for them, others do not. I can assure you, He has something and probably several things for you to do. Whatever it is, the underlying commission for all of us is found in Matthew 28:18-20.

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

If you do not know the specifics, you do know this. And you can do use the gifts God has given you and the things you enjoy and find many ways to carry out the Great Commission. If you ask the Lord, I can assure you He will tell you what it is He has for you.

Solomon knew it was his jobs were. One of them was the building of the Temple. It was a huge undertaking. But God had chosen Solomon for the job and He provided the way. He sent the servants of Hiram, King of Tyre to Solomon. King Hiram had loved King David and he was eager to connect with Solomon. Solomon saw it as an opportunity from The Lord. Chapter 5 Verses 3-6 read,

“You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. 4 But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5 And so I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.’ 6 Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

Hiram was thrilled to make a treaty with Solomon. It would benefit both of them. Hiram understood the intricacies of getting all that lumber from Tyre to Jerusalem, which was a massive undertaking.

It was God who directed Hiram to start talking to Solomon at that time and made it possible for Solomon to begin building the Temple, which had been his father’s dream, but would be his mission. Just because you desire a certain job, doesn’t mean that is the one God will give you. David wanted very much to build the Temple but was not qualified for the job because of the warfare he constantly had to fight. He had blood on his hands, and the Temple had to be holy.

But God had assured David and Solomon that Solomon would build His house. And build it he did. It was magnificent, just as God deserved it to be and only as Solomon could have done it. Israel had left Egypt 480 years before and Solomon had been ruling for four years when he began building the temple. Verses 2-6of Chapter 6 in The Message describe the Temple,

“The Temple that King Solomon built to God was ninety feet long, thirty feet wide, and forty-five feet high. There was a porch across the thirty-foot width of The Temple that extended out fifteen feet. Within The Temple he made narrow, deep-silled windows. Against the outside walls he built a supporting structure in which there were smaller rooms: The lower floor was seven and a half feet wide, the middle floor nine feet, and the third floor ten and a half feet. He had projecting ledges built into the outside Temple walls to support the buttressing beams.”

Solomon took it very seriously, this wasn’t just any house, it was Holy Almighty God’s house. He didn’t let anything sully it. Verse 7 reads,

“When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built.”

It was Holy and truly Extraordinary and Majestic. Verses 20-22 read,

“The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid an altar of cedar. 21 And Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold, and he drew chains of gold across, in front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold. 22 And he overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.”

The inner sanctuary was made to echo the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. Verses 23-28 describe it.

“In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high. 24 Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the length of the other wing of the cherub; it was ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. 25 The other cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same measure and the same form. 26 The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub. 27 He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the house. And the wings of the cherubim were spread out so that a wing of one touched the one wall, and a wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; their other wings touched each other in the middle of the house. 28 And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.”

The Lord honored the care Solomon took and when the Temple was completed He spoke to Solomon. Verses 11-13 read,

“Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, 12 “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”

It took seven years to complete the Temple. Solomon made sure it was done right, the way the Lord specified.

The Lord has a job for you. He will reveal it to you if you ask and if you seek. He will make it possible for you to do it well. And He will make you prosper in the endeavor. If you don’t know what it is God has for you, ask Him. Look around and serve where you have opportunity. Use your gifts to edify the church, use your gifts to carry out the Great Commission. Chances are you will be doing what God wants you to do, and you will discover more of what He wants from you.

Remember, you have His Holy Spirit within you. You are not far from God, He is within you. He knows how to ensure you hear Him.

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Where Do We find Joy?

Life of David Part 13: Choosing God’s Heart

Deuteronomy 12 Worship The Lord Your God, not Worship the Lord, You’re God

2 Kings 12 Stewardship and Care for the Temple, the Priest, and the City of God

JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH –The LORD is There.

1 Kings 12:25-33 Beware False Prophets, the Spirit of the Antichrist is Rampant.

1 Kings 9 Jesus and The Promises of The Temple of God

1 Kings 8 The Temple Made a Way for God to Dwell with Men

1 Kings 7 What Can I Learn from Solomon's House and God's Temple

1 King’s 5-6 Solomon’s Mission was to Build the Temple and He Took it Seriously

Donna Campbell

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