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King David had it in his heart to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, but God chose David’s son, Solomon, to build the house, instead. And so Solomon built the temple of God. And in that temple he set the ark, in which was the covenant of the Lord that God had made with the people of Israel. And this temple was to be a place of prayer to God, and of sacrifice to God, and of true submissive worship of God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit.
That was under the Old Covenant God had with his people Israel. But since Jesus Christ came to the earth, was born as a baby to a human mother, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and then as an adult took upon himself the sins of the entire world in his death on a cross, the Old Covenant God had with his people Israel was done away with and a New Covenant came into being which included the Gentiles and the Jews – but only those of genuine God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, via death to sin and obedience to God.
[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 9:4-8; Romans 11:1-36; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; 1 John 2:22; John 8:18-19,38-47; Jude 1:5; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16]
So, the temple of God is now human hearts which are surrendered to Jesus Christ to do his will, to forsake their lives of sin to now follow Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands under the New Covenant. And Jesus Christ is that temple, and we who believe in him with God-gifted faith are his body, the body of Christ, his church, his temple. And he now dwells within us in the person of the Holy Spirit, by God’s grace, through submissive and repentant and obedient faith in Jesus Christ, which of God, not of the flesh.
So, the sacrifices that we now make are those of ourselves as living sacrifices to God, holy and pleasing to him, for this is our reasonable and acceptable worship of God. And it is for us to be no longer conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but transformed of God in heart and mind away from all that is sinful to now live holy lives which are pleasing to God. For true worship of God surrenders our lives to him so that we die with him to sin and now live for him and to his righteousness, by his grace.
[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 2:8-22; Colossians 3:12-15; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 8:8-10; Hebrews 10:30; Hebrews 11:25; 1 Peter 2:9-10,24]
So, can we make application of what God said to Solomon under the Old Covenant to our lives today, who are living under the New Covenant?
What first comes to mind is Hebrews 12:1-29. There we read that the Lord disciplines those he loves and he reproves and he chastises us who are his, and that it is for discipline that we have to endure. But God disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness, and that it may yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness in the lives of us who have been trained by it. And then there are instructions for us to lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and to lift drooping hands and to strengthen weak knees.
[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; John 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12]
For then it goes on and it instructs us to make straight (righteous, godly, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to God) paths for our feet (for our walks of faith). And we are to strive for holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. And we are to watch that none of us is defiled by sexual immorality and/or by any other addictive sins which may have a hold on some people’s lives, and so we fail to inherit eternal life with God. For if we fail to heed God’s word, in practice, we will not have eternal life in him.
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-29; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
But if we would humble ourselves, pray, and seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways to now walk in obedience to his commands in holy living, in practice, then he will forgive us our sins, and we will have the hope of salvation from sin and of eternal life with God, but provided that we continue in those walks of faith and obedience, and that we not continue living in sin, and until Jesus Christ returns, or until we die, and he takes his faithful ones to be with him for eternity, which is when our salvation will be complete.
For Our Nation
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
Then God said to Solomon: “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.” (2 Chronicles 7:13-15 ESV)
That was under the Old Covenant God had with his people Israel. But since Jesus Christ came to the earth, was born as a baby to a human mother, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and then as an adult took upon himself the sins of the entire world in his death on a cross, the Old Covenant God had with his people Israel was done away with and a New Covenant came into being which included the Gentiles and the Jews – but only those of genuine God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, via death to sin and obedience to God.
[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 9:4-8; Romans 11:1-36; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; 1 John 2:22; John 8:18-19,38-47; Jude 1:5; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16]
So, the temple of God is now human hearts which are surrendered to Jesus Christ to do his will, to forsake their lives of sin to now follow Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands under the New Covenant. And Jesus Christ is that temple, and we who believe in him with God-gifted faith are his body, the body of Christ, his church, his temple. And he now dwells within us in the person of the Holy Spirit, by God’s grace, through submissive and repentant and obedient faith in Jesus Christ, which of God, not of the flesh.
So, the sacrifices that we now make are those of ourselves as living sacrifices to God, holy and pleasing to him, for this is our reasonable and acceptable worship of God. And it is for us to be no longer conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but transformed of God in heart and mind away from all that is sinful to now live holy lives which are pleasing to God. For true worship of God surrenders our lives to him so that we die with him to sin and now live for him and to his righteousness, by his grace.
[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 2:8-22; Colossians 3:12-15; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 8:8-10; Hebrews 10:30; Hebrews 11:25; 1 Peter 2:9-10,24]
So, can we make application of what God said to Solomon under the Old Covenant to our lives today, who are living under the New Covenant?
What first comes to mind is Hebrews 12:1-29. There we read that the Lord disciplines those he loves and he reproves and he chastises us who are his, and that it is for discipline that we have to endure. But God disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness, and that it may yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness in the lives of us who have been trained by it. And then there are instructions for us to lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and to lift drooping hands and to strengthen weak knees.
[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; John 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12]
For then it goes on and it instructs us to make straight (righteous, godly, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to God) paths for our feet (for our walks of faith). And we are to strive for holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. And we are to watch that none of us is defiled by sexual immorality and/or by any other addictive sins which may have a hold on some people’s lives, and so we fail to inherit eternal life with God. For if we fail to heed God’s word, in practice, we will not have eternal life in him.
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-29; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
But if we would humble ourselves, pray, and seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways to now walk in obedience to his commands in holy living, in practice, then he will forgive us our sins, and we will have the hope of salvation from sin and of eternal life with God, but provided that we continue in those walks of faith and obedience, and that we not continue living in sin, and until Jesus Christ returns, or until we die, and he takes his faithful ones to be with him for eternity, which is when our salvation will be complete.
For Our Nation
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
