Keep on 'til the End

Ezra 6:14 (MSG)
¹⁴  So the leaders of the Jews continued to build; the work went well under the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. They completed the rebuilding under orders of the God of Israel and authorization by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. 

The finished temple was a long and arduous process. Much pain was taken to follow the Lord's precise instructions, making it perfect in every way. It didn't happen overnight, and it was hard work but now it was finished. Let the festivities begin. Feasting and celebration were fitting now that the temple was completed.

We will often throw a party when we come to the end of a big project or a difficult task. When we are involved in a theatrical play and give up many of the things we like to do, so that we can practice over and over to make the performance flawless, there is usually a cast party after it is finished. A writer might host a book release party when their publication is available to the public.

Many gave hours of their lives for the temple completion. And it all began because of the discovery of a lost paragraph in a pagan library (Life Application Study Bible). (Read Ezra 6:1-12). It was time to party.

Consider how it all began for you. When did your faith begin to take shape? What was happening in your life to cause you to seek God and His Son? This Advent season it is good to remember these things and maybe even share them with someone who doesn't quite get it yet. You might be surprised at the response you receive. After all, we are all waiting for something, aren't we? Maybe our words will reveal that the 'something' is Jesus.

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Ezra 6:13-16

Serving the Temple

1 Chronicles 23:28-32

Today I’m thankful for all those who bring order and organization to our worship.  It’s easy to take for granted everything that goes into making worship happen each Sunday.  From when the congregation first takes their seats, to when they file out after the Benediction, they don’t see all the little things that happen before they arrive so there are even seats to sit in.

From start to finish, every minute of a service is planned and prayed over.  Hours are spent getting the sanctuary ready, selecting the right songs and making sure ushers are stationed at just the right places.  It takes a team to make it happen, all of them working together in service to the Lord.

God knows what he wants each of us to receive during worship and he uses today’s worship leaders, like he used the Levites, to be his hands and feet.  Things may look and sound different than they did years ago, but praising the Lord is still the same.  We are all there for the same purpose.

So, thank you to anyone who’s ever been part of a worship team.  Your hard work behind the scenes does not go unnoticed.  You fill a unique role and your service to the Lord is valued.  It’s because of what you do that we can enter the temple and give proper praise.  You have been given the gift of the Levites.  Thank you for carrying out your responsibilities with care and compassion.

And Father, thank you for bestowing such remarkable gifts and talents on all involved. You know better than anyone that each element of worship is vital and provides what we need to honor you.  It’s always in Your Name we pray.  Amen

It's All in the Details

1 Kings 6

1 Kings 6 is one of those chapters you might be tempted to skip over.  It’s got a lot of numbers and measurements that may not make a lot of sense, but the significance is in the details.  Solomon built a temple for the Lord “according to its specifications.” He did this because the word of the Lord came to him and said “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father.  And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel” (v. 12-13).

Solomon did as instructed and took pride in the details.  He could have altered the plans and cut corners here and there, but he wanted to please God.  So, if God wanted twenty cubits at the rear of the temple lined with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form an inner sanctuary (v. 16), that’s what Solomon did.

Wouldn’t it be nice if God handed us blue prints and said, “Here, do it just like this.”  Well, He does through his Word.  The Bible contains our detailed instructions and our prayers help us figure out where to start and which way to go when we’re stuck.

It can be hard to decipher the exact measurements sometimes, but God provides grace.  If we’re a little short here, he extends mercy there.  The key is to pay attention to the details.  They’re there for a reason.  God has a plan and each delicate detail, no matter how small, plays an important part in what we are meant to do.  Each “cubit” adds texture and beauty to our lives.  

So, if God’s not cutting corners, then so mustn’t we.  Pay attention to the details, because they all add up to a glorious finished product – YOU.   

God is bigger than anything man can build

2 December

Scripture Reading

Read 1 Kings 8:22-27 and reflect on the passage.

Young King Solomon stands before his people and gives his stunning new building to the Lord. Though the new temple is magnificent, Solomon admits it is unfit as God’s home because even all heaven and earth cannot contain its Maker. How much more incredible, then, to ponder that God Himself in human flesh has come among us! In fact, today He wants His spirit to live long-term inside our floundering hearts. C. S. Lewis pictured us in this indwelling experience as living houses that God wants to rebuild. At first, God does basic repairs that we knew we needed. But, when he starts huge remodeling changes, we wonder what’s up.

“The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

—C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Questions

1. What basic repair does God want to make in your “living house” today?

2. Where does God want long-term rebuilding in you, His palace?

Prayer

Lord, Life-builder, come in. No more spot cleaning nor superficial patch jobs. Knock down walls. Build what You need. Make my life Your home. Amen.

—Pam Mann

Luke 2: 21-40

Bucket List 

We don't think of people in Jesus time as having bucket lists, but they certainly did. They likely did not have a term for what we now refer to as a bucket list, but they were people just as we are, with desires, hopes, dreams, and plans.

Simeon, righteous and devout, was told by the Holy Spirit he would not die before seeing the Lord Christ. For many yeas he waited and prayed for the comfort Israel would know once the Messiah arrived.

On the day Joseph and Mary delivered Jesus to the Temple to be consecrated to the Lord according to the Law of the Lord (Exodus 13: 2, 12) Simeon was moved by the Spirit to go to the Temple Courts. We have all been in situations when we did something or went somewhere because we had a feeling or felt lead in a special way. As Simeon viewed Mary and Joseph approaching with the baby Jesus in their arms, we can only imagine the joy and relief he felt in his heart knowing he was right where he was supposed to be at that moment. Simeon greeted them knowing exactly who Jesus was and why he was there. He took the baby into his arms and praised God.

Simeon identified Jesus as the promise and proclaimed the salvation of the world as he dismissed himself from the world in peace as a servant of the Lord.

An honorable man indeed, to be offered such a privilege. As we think about our bucket list, and/or the things we hope to experience or accomplish before meeting our maker they cannot in any way compare. Once accomplished Simeon was able to leave this world peacefully knowing the Messiah had arrived and the salvation of the world was at hand.

How will we leave this world?

Read/Listen to Luke 2: 21-40

It is Time to Celebrate!

Everybody loves a celebration. A birthday party, the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve are favorites of many people. And let’s not forget the celebrations that occur when your favorite sports team wins a championship.

Today’s reading is Ezra 6:13-18. The Israelites rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and a new Temple to the Lord. The exiled Israelites will soon return from Assyria. It was time to celebrate!

 

But, what is the significance of what they were celebrating?

 While in exile, the Jews were strangers in a foreign land. They were away from the Holy Land, away from God, so to speak.  They did not have an identity.

 Those Jews who were not exiled lived without the safety of a walled city. They were very vulnerable to their neighbors and other invaders. And since the Temple had been destroyed, they could not turn to God who previously dwelled among them.

When the exiles return, the Jews will be re-united. They once again will have an identity. They will be a nation. They will be united with their Lord who will once again dwell among them. And the rebuilt walls will provide them safety.

 Today Christians do not have a walled city, or a single spot for the Lord to dwell. We are not even united, we are scattered all over the world.

 Yet we should celebrate!

 Jesus is our wall; his death on the cross keeps sin from harming us.

 Jesus does not need a Temple; he dwells in heaven and here on earth. He lives among us. The earth is his footstool!

 And Jesus is the great unifier. All Christians everywhere are part of his heavenly kingdom whose job is to spread the Good News of Jesus. As citizens of heaven, Jesus gives us an identity!

 Jesus gives us everything we need.  That is something to celebrate!

Let Him Have It

Many, many years ago, I sometimes read a satirical periodical called Mad Magazine. One of the cartoons inside was “Spy vs. Spy”. The gist of the cartoon was that one of the spies would appear to be friendly to the other. When the other was unsuspecting, the first would “let him have it,” so to speak.

 

Who is going to get it?

Today’s reading is Ezra 4:1-5. The Jews had returned from their exile in Assyria and were rebuilding their temple in Jerusalem. The Samaritans, enemies of the Jews, were not happy with this event. They attempted to join the Jews to help rebuild the temple, but were rebuffed by the Jews.

 

The Jews knew the Samaritans worshipped false gods and were against the building of the temple. The Jews knew that their return and the building of the temple threatened the political power of the Samaritans. The Jews knew that the Samaritans wanted to be part of the team, so that they could, “let them have it” when the Jews were not expecting it.

 

Satan does not want our efforts for Jesus to succeed. Sometimes he will try to be part of our team and when we are not looking, try to destroy us and our efforts.

 

As in the “Spy vs. Spy” cartoons, Satan is armed with a bomb, just waiting to, “let us have it.”

 

We need to be aware of who our enemy is, know his intentions and be prepared for his attacks. Like the Jews did with the Samaritans, we should not accept Satan’s help and we should be prepared to tell him why.

 

Yes, Satan is armed with a bomb. Yet we are like the other Spy. Our defense is Jesus Christ. Of course, at times Satan can make our lives miserable. But he really cannot hurt us. He cannot take away our hope of Heaven and everlasting life.

 

When Satan comes calling, all we need to do is rely on Jesus. Jesus will, “let him have it.”

Faithful even in judgment

“When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests ... and the Levites ... took their places to praise the Lord....  With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: ‘He is good; his love to Israel endures forever.’  And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.  But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud ... while many others shouted for joy.”  Ezra 3:10-13

When God judges, there are consequences.  When God forgives, there is restoration.

How many times have we experienced restoration ourselves?  More to the point, how many times do we need to test and prove God’s faithfulness to restore?

Israel had been in exile for over 50 years when God moved in the heart of Cyrus, king of Persia, to build a temple for him.  Obeying the God of his captives, Cyrus extended an open invitation to any of the Jews scattered throughout his realm to “go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel ...”  (Now, there’s a mission trip for you!)

Having first built an altar for worship and sacrifice, the volunteers then got to work on the temple.  And when its foundation was laid, there erupted great ... emotion.  All shouted praises to God, but it then quickly became a matter divergent perspectives.  To the younger folks, the completed foundation was hope strengthened, vision sharpened, for they who had never known a temple for the God of Israel could now see it becoming a new reality.  But those who had been around to see Solomon’s temple, long since destroyed, now “wept aloud.”

Why?  Why the weeping in the presence of promise and hope fulfilled?  Was it nostalgia, a wistful yearning for days gone by, a fond embrace of what they once knew?  Was it pent-up pain released in these aged souls born into freedom, that bright light then dimmed by oppression and captivity?

Or did these broken, now-wise souls agonize over the rebellion that brought judgment to Israel and Judah in the first place?  If only they had honored God’s law and kept their ways pure!  What could have been had they not hardened their hearts to his voice!  If only they had not tried to reduce God to a knock-off brand in a Devil Wears Prada world.  And compartmentalizing their God in the name of social relevance?  What were they thinking?

Restoration didn’t need to be, for judgment didn’t need to happen.  The temple didn’t have to be razed, nor its foundation destroyed.  As God said through his prophet, Isaiah, long before the exile:  “To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’  All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations – a people who continually provoke me to my very face ... (Isaiah 65:1b-3a)”  Had they only listened!

Today’s temples look a lot like you and me, for every believer is “a temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19)”  And we temples are built on an immovable rock, “for no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:11)”  We will not be razed; our foundation will not be destroyed.  Which is encouraging, because we stand out in a culture where people still pursue their imaginations and provoke God to his face.

Amid the chaos and confusion, above the shriek and the shrill, may our world hear unmistakably the clear, assuring voice of God calling from and through his temples, “Here am I, here am I.”

[Read today's lesson, Ezra 3:7-13, in NIV or The Message.]

Acts 3: 3-10

Healing and Preaching the Name

A crippled beggar saw Peter and John about to enter the temple. Knowing only what his worldly need was, the beggar asked them for money. Peter responded by telling the man he had no silver or gold, but would give him what he had. "In the name of Jesus Christ, walk." Peter brought God to the situation, and the beggar was healed with words.

Peter had no power to heal, but in deep faithful trust in the Lord, he knew he could be used as a vehicle for healing. With his whole heart and being Peter believed God would be with him and had such deep faith that he allowed the words of healing to come forth. The Father was with Peter, and offered this cripple a gift far greater than what he asked for.

Often those hurting ask for things that do not reflect their true need. A few pieces of silver would not have helped this man in the long run, and Peter recognized this. Though having his physical ailment cured was a true blessing and relief, being able to walk did not offer the man what he truly needed.

Peter offered him the gift of eternal life through the presence of God. Once he could walk the beggar went to the temple courts "walking and jumping, and praising God." He began to enter into a relationship with Jesus, that is what he really needed, and what true healing is.

Our world is filled with suffering individuals who require a relationship with God in order to heal. They may be depressed, bitter, physically compromised, or have mental illness. Many have been through momentary tragedies and others, heartbreaking situations for many years. No matter what the apparent cause of their difficulties, only the peace that comes from a relationship with our Lord will heal them.

As we live our Christian faith, we are called to pray and create a place for others to be in God's presence so they can feel His love, and experience His healing touch. We are commissioned to "Speak Life" in order to save the lives of those who so desperately need it.

Hear the words of Toby Mack "Speak Life"
Read/Listen to Acts 3: 3-10

1 Corinthians 3:16-23

When I was in grade school, fifth grade to be exact, I learned about the etymology of words. While I wasn't a particularly engaged student at that time, I was fascinated by this type of study. Digging into the deeper meaning or original meaning of words was exciting. (I know, some of you are gagging right now.)

The Scripture text today is about the temple. "Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?" (1 Corinthians 3:16). I dug into the word temple to see its origin.

I know that temple is used here to mean us, Christians; we are temples of the Holy Spirit, a place where the spirit of God dwells. This is really big stuff, not to be taken lightly! Temple comes from the root tem signifying cut; cut out of the blue heavens for sacred uses. We have been separated for a higher use, a dwelling for the Holy Spirit.

As temples we are also community, a Christian community where we are all drawn together as Christ's body on earth. The Life Application Commentary says, "Corinth boasted many pagan temples and shrines, but there was only one temple for God--the Corinthian Christians were it! We can say the same today. Because we as believers are a temple for the Holy Spirit we ought not cause division, because that destroys the temple.

To read the text for today go to Biblegate and 1 Corinthians 3:16-23

Matthew 21:12-17 - Temple Purpose

Can you picture Jesus entering the temple area and looking around?

He sees people conducting business. He dramatically makes it clear that things must change. Jesus is upset witnessing the buying, selling, and cheating. He's even more distressed that worship and prayer are routinely being replaced by dealers and buyers.

Why does Jesus demand change? God’s house is meant to be a place "of prayer" where believers can go to meet and be with Him. Experiencing God in prayer and worship separates people from the distractions of the world. Believers, while in worship, totally focus their hearts and minds on the magnificence and grace of God. Everything the buyers, sellers, and money changers are doing highly disregards the importance of worshiping and honoring God. Their actions come between the people and God making His house disturbingly less than it's meant to be.

The point is that nothing should come between us and our time of worship and prayer. When we pray we worship and connect with God. It's important to make time, corporately and personally, to tell Him that we love Him, trust Him, rely on Him, respect Him, and thank Him for everything He's done for us. Worship and prayer lead us to obedience and reliance on God’s strength. We're conscious when He instructs us, corrects and cleanses us, loves and builds us up, and molds and makes us to do His will. We worship God because of who He is. He deserves to be worshiped.

Is there something between you and your worship time with God?

Read today's text, Matthew 21:12-17, on Biblegateway.