Time for Temple Inspection!

"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? ²⁰ For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

When I visited the Temple Institute in Jerusalem this year, it was exciting the see the many preparations undertaken for the rebuilding of the Temple.  Our tour was led through a maze of rooms displaying artwork, models, the ephod and breastplate which will be worn by the high priest, the table of showbread, the altar of incense, and silver trumpets.  As the guide presented the articles and talked of the future temple, there was a sense of awe and excitement.  With all the expense and effort being expended in preparation for the building of the third temple, one might think the temple was always reverenced, being the dwelling place of God.  A brief examination of biblical Jewish history proves otherwise!  Though the Jews were the people God chose as His own, committed to them His Laws, and dwelt among them, the condition of the temple varied greatly.  When we realise that under the New Covenant of Christ's blood born-again Christians are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, looking back at the conditions which existed is instructive in self-examination.

So what are some of the negative conditions we find in the tabernacle or temple historically?  Here is a brief and hardly exhaustive list:

• The priests did not know the LORD, robbed God of sacrifices brought by the people, and fornicated with women in the tabernacle - 1 Samuel 2:12-24
• The light was allowed by the priests to burn out at night - 1 Samuel 3:1-4
• In the days of Joash there were leaks and gaps, the Levites were slack to organise repairs, and Athaliah's son's had broken into the temple and presented the holy things to idols - 2 Chronicles 24:2-7
• King Ahaz took the holy vessels and cut them into scrap, polluted the holy place, and sealed the doors of the temple - 2 Chronicles 28:24
• Hezekiah commanded the unsanctified Levites to sanctify themselves and cleanse the holy place.  The doors had been shut, lamps extinguished, and no incense or burnt sacrifices had been offered - 2 Chronicles 29:4-7
• The holy place was polluted with so much filth it took 8 days to cleanse it - 2 Chronicles 29:16-17
•  The book of the Law was lost in the temple, and therefore it had not been read, heard, or obeyed - 2 Chronicles 34:15-21
• The high priest Eliashib allied himself with the Ammonite Tobiah, an enemy of Israel.  He prepared a large room for Tobiah to live in which should have been reserved as a storeroom for tithes and offerings - Nehemiah 13:4-5
• On two occasions Jesus cleansed the temple of moneychangers, animals, and kept merchants from using the temple as a thoroughfare - Mark 11:15-17, John 2:13-18

The people God had tasked to build the temple as a house of prayer did not always maintain the purity and reverence of which God is worthy.  This fact should lead to a critical question for every born-again Christian to consider:  what is the current condition of my temple?  Have I robbed God of sacrifices?  Are there impurities in the holy place?  Have I misplaced and ignored the Word of God?  Since we are called priests unto God, have I been slack to be sanctified and do the work of the ministry?  Have I allied myself with enemies of God and provided them space to live and oppose God's work in my heart?  We observe when the nation of Israel was ruled by a wicked king who promoted idolatry, the temple and worship of God was polluted and neglected.  It is the same for us.  Should we allow ourselves to be ruled by sin, lusts, and pride, our temple falls into spiritual disrepair.

Praise God that in every case mentioned above, there remained sure hope and help when people returned to the LORD in humility, repentance, and obedience.  This means there is hope for those who have not kept their temple in holiness and purity.  Even if the temple has been utterly destroyed, it can be rebuilt.  Twice the temple was destroyed, but the Bible reveals it will be built again.  God is more concerned about the people created in His image than mere buildings fashioned by the hands of men.  Those who destroy the temple God will judge, as it is written in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17:  "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? ¹⁷ If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."  We are to remain pure in a world filled with sin because our God is holy.  2 Corinthians 6:16 reads, "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

Allow me to close with an excellent exhortation from 1 Peter 2:5-12:  "...You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." ⁷ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone," ⁸ and "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. ⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰ who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. ¹¹ Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, ¹² having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation."

Keep the Light Shining!

"And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually. ²¹ In the tabernacle of meeting, outside the veil which is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening until morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to their generations on behalf of the children of Israel."

Exodus 27:20-21

God commanded the lamp in the tabernacle and later the temple was to burn continually in the Holy Place.  From evening until morning it was to be carefully attended by the priests before the LORD.  Oil was to be added and wicks trimmed through the night to ensure it remained lit throughout the night.  Light was to shine continually in the Holy Place though the sun disappeared and night fell.

In the days of the Judges, we read men did what was right in their eyes.  Though God's Law had been committed to His people and the tabernacle had been erected according to God's design, the days were dark.  The priests had neglected the command of God to keep the light burning, and the implications for Christians today are enormous.  We read in 1 Samuel 3:1-4:  "Then the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. ² And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, ³ and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the LORD where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, ⁴ that the LORD called Samuel. And he answered, "Here I am!" 

There are several telling observations from this text.  The word of the LORD was rare in those days.  There was no widespread revelation.  Eli, the High Priest descended from Aaron's line, was physically blind.  His eyes had grown increasingly dim to the point of blindness.  Whilst Eli laid himself to sleep, the lamp of God was permitted to burn out in the tabernacle of the LORD.  How suggestive is this!  Eli and his sons neglected to tend the lamp of God according to His command, and it was an indicator of their slack approach to God.  1 Samuel describes the sons of Eli as desperately wicked, and though Eli heard all about their debauchery he did nothing to stop them.  There is a clear connection in the passage between allowing the lamp of God to burn out and blindness, lack of vision and divine revelation, and the rarity of the word of the LORD.  The priests had despised the commandment of God and embraced sleep instead.  Darkness in the temple resulted in blindness, ignorance, and distance from God.

One glorious truth in this tragic passage is though the light was permitted to burn out, God spoke directly to a young boy who did not even know the LORD yet!  It may have seemed a helpless situation with ever-increasing darkness and wickedness, but God graciously revealed Himself to someone who would be faithful to hear and speak forth His truth.  The lamp of God was permitted to burn out, but the light of life shone through little Samuel even as a child, and none of his words fell to the ground.  Jesus said in John 8:12, "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  Jesus also told His followers in Matthew 5:14:  "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."  Jesus is the Light of the World, and all who repent and are born again through faith in Him have the Holy Spirit living within them.  Oil is a type of the Spirit who sets us aflame, the fuel to empower Christians to comprehend and live out the scriptures in truth.  We are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus went on to say in Matthew 5:16:  "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

If you are a Christian, consider these questions:  is hearing from God a rarity in your life?  Is fresh understanding and personal application from the scriptures seldom experienced by you?  When you read the Bible is it dry and dull?  Is your vision increasingly dim?  It could very well be due to the neglect of obedience to God's Word.  Perhaps you have never been baptised with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  Maybe the Holy Spirit has been quenched, resisted, and grieved by decisions you have made.  Praise the LORD, there is hope for those born blind as well as those whose eyes have gone dim!  Acts 9:17-18 speaks of when Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit and his eyes were opened.  "And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." ¹⁸ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized."

How is your vision, dear Christian?  Have you recognised your desperate need for spiritual sight and light from the Holy Spirit?  If your heart has been darkened by sin, there is hope for you in Jesus Christ.  Jesus will forgive, heal, and restore those who admit they are blind, yet those who believe they see will remain blind.  No matter how dark the world becomes, Jesus remains the Light of the World.  Instead of doing what is right in your own eyes, obey God's commands faithfully night and day.  Keep His light shining bright!

Surrender, Praise, and Enjoy!

There is truly nothing more exciting, humbling, and amazing than being part of God's forever family.  The life God has for us is better and broader than we could ever have dreamed up for ourselves.  God is faithful to lead and guide His people faithfully, providing for our necessities and granting opportunities to serve all over the world.  It is wonderful when we experience the joy and peace of God and are content in our circumstances - only to have God prompt us to go through an open door He has sovereignly placed before us.  God's ways are past finding out, and what a joy to know it is He who will be faithful to lead us every step of the way.

Years ago I served on staff at Calvary Chapel El Cajon with Lynette Lynn.  A time came when God moved her to another local ministry where she has been serving for six years.  She posted a status update that took me back in my mind to the time when I discovered God had called me out of ministering in San Diego and would establish my family and me in Australia.  I was blessed by her honesty, transparency, and obedience to share what God revealed and confirmed to her heart.  And with her permission, I am delighted to share her exhortation to faith in God with you!

In early July I sat on the beach with Lord, journal in hand, asking Him to speak to me. As I stared out at the ocean God reminded me of my love for roller coasters. Just as quickly He reminded me of that love, He reminded me of one ride that I HATE at Magic Mountain called "Viper." The reason I hate Viper is because the beginning of the ride goes VERY slowly, giving me 30 seconds to think about all the possible ways I might die on the ride. I love roller coasters that start out fast and end fast because there is no time for me to think. Naturally, I asked God why He was talking to me about roller coasters. Clearly He impressed on my heart this message "Lynette, you have two choices when it comes to doing what I ask you to do. One choice is to hang on for dear life and white-knuckle this ride. The other choice is to put your hands up in surrender and praise and enjoy the ride. The reality is, the ride is taking the same course no matter how you decide to ride."

As I sat there marinating in that thought, God made it clear that my season at the Rock Church had ended. I sat there shocked...I've been there 6 years and I was convinced I would be there until the day I died. I left the beach and didn't tell anyone, including my husband what God had told me. I spent the longest week of my life wrestling with the Lord. I was anxious all the time. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat (much), was in tears at the drop of a hat. I was irritable, angry and just lacking peace. I finally decided I would tell my husband Bob what God had told me. His response: "Lynette, I would go anywhere God told us to go, even the desert." My response: "Whoa, that's just crazy talk! You know I am a beach girl." Well... as God would have it, one text, and 2 hours later I received an email from a church in Indian Wells, Ca. (IN THE DESERT) looking for a someone to direct their Kids Ministry!

I don't want to make this long post any longer but I will tell you that I have NEVER EVER seen God's hand so clearly in directing my life. I would say there has been a minimum of 20 different ways God has confirmed this is the way we should go. So the bottom line is, I am humbled and honored to say that I have accepted a position at Southwest Community Church. We are packing up our world in San Diego and moving to the DESERT (this must be God) early in the month of November. Everything is moving so fast, last night our house went on the market and today we are having an Open House. As Bob Goff would say "We are living on the edge of YIKES."

What I do want to say is that there is NO GREATER JOY than being in the center of God's will. The past month has been a crazy roller coaster ride and every day I have to CHOOSE to put my hands up in SURRENDER and PRAISE and enjoy this ride!  Friends, if God is calling you to do something, whether big or small JUST DO IT and receive the blessing He has for you!

The Wisdom From Above

In the Matrix film trilogy, there is a character deemed the "Oracle."  Morpheus and Neo sought her advice concerning the future because they believed she had wisdom they needed to be successful in their efforts.  Most things the Oracle said were ambiguous and unclear.  She limited herself and would not say all she knew, but said enough to put her seekers on the right path.  The implication is they would have to discover the truth for themselves - an approach which fits well in our current day of the embrace of relative truth.  Unfortunately this approach to wisdom is not limited to the science fiction but has been accepted as truth.  Relativism by many has been deemed absolute truth in a time when the existence of moral absolutes is flatly rejected.  There is great irony here for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

The wisdom of God is nothing like what often passes for wisdom in this world.  Wisdom is far more than information or even the correct appropriation or personal application of knowledge.  The Bible says the "Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom."  True, genuine wisdom comes only from God.  Wisdom is not displayed by knowledge, belief, or mental understanding, but through the fear and reverence of God.  A wise man believes God exists, created all things, and is in control.  He recognises God is not like a man, and men are naturally opposed to God.  This means man, despite his best efforts, cannot know or walk in the wisdom of God.  The scriptures say that when fallen, faithless men see God's wisdom openly displayed, it appears to them foolishness (1 Cor. 2:14)!  Conversely, 1 Corinthians 3:19 says, "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness."

The wise of this world flaunt their knowledge, yet the truly wise are revealed in their willingness to receive correction from God.  A wise man realises in his natural state he is not inclined to do God's will and therefore needs to be changed from within.  He must be born again and embrace a life of being changed more into the image of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Christianity is more than hearing God's Word and doing it:  the implication is after being born again we must choose to accept God's way of thinking and live in dependance and obedience to His Word.  Our old life and ways of thinking must be replaced with God's plans for our future.  Jesus told a parable in Matthew 7:24-28:  "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

The foolish man in the parable heard the words of Jesus but chose to build in a place and in a way he saw fit.  He disregarded the instruction and correction of God.  Though he no doubt worked very hard at great expense, because his house was not firmly established on the rock it all fell to pieces when the storm hit.  He put aside God's plans for building his life and decided instead to build his dream home according to his own design and in the location he preferred.  He wanted beachfront property and he temporarily obtained his desire.  Sadly, all those efforts were a tragic waste.  The wise man heard the words of Jesus and chose to throw out his own plans.  He decided God's location and plans for building a life were better than his own.  He embraced all changes to his plans, methods, and future God demanded.  He built on the rock when a house on the beach still  sounded amazing.  Perhaps he would have been happy to build in the exclusive community that built on the sandy bluffs overlooking the sunrise.  I am not suggesting beachfront property cannot have a solid foundation on the rock.  The point is, wisdom is displayed in our willingness to admit our plans need to change, our way of thinking must change, our idea of a dream future on this earth must change, everything about us must change according to God's revealed design in His Word.

There are many smart, knowledgeable people in this world who do not possess wisdom from above.  They may be very wealthy, successful, influential, and powerful, yet they still lack God's wisdom.  James 3:13-18:  "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. ¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. ¹⁸ Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."  The wisdom is displayed through meekness, not arrogance or pride.  The wisdom of God is revealed in motives of love and humility.  True wisdom is not shown by how much we know or what we believe we have accomplished, but in gentleness and willingness to yield to God's control and commands in daily living.  The righteousness of a Christian is obtained by grace through faith in Christ, and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace.  Wisdom is revealed when we accept chastening from God and even correction from men.

Are you willing to yield when Christ speaks?  Will wisdom from above be displayed in your life when you lay down your precious plans and adopt God's plans for your conduct, life, and thinking through scripture?  Only Christians have the wisdom from above, but do not be deceived to think by virtue of your beliefs by default you are living wisely.  How many times have we built something God condemned because it was not in His plans!  How easy it is to stray from building on the foundation of Christ because we have decided our ideas and plans are best.  Our plans are precious because we've poured our hearts into them, they cost us a fortune, and we are not willing to give them up!  True wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, and willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and hypocrisy.  When you read "partiality and hypocrisy," don't primarily think of how you relate to others, but how we can be partial and hypocritical concerning ourselves.  When it comes to biblical change, Christians are wise to adopt a "Me first!" approach.  Mary told the servants, "Whatever Jesus says, do it!" and we are wise to heed her words!  Wisdom is not something we discover on our own, but something Jesus is for us.  1 Corinthians 1:30-31 says, "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- ³¹ that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."