Have you considered the lesson of the Temple?

 6 Feb 26

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One

Readings:

Exodus 39

Exodus 40

Matthew 24:1-22

Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down (Matthew 24:2). 

Have you considered the lesson of the Temple?

Moses is divinely instructed by God to build a transportable tabernacle, which is the precursor to the permanent Temple. God’s presence hovers over the tabernacle by day as a cloud and by night, as a pillar of fire (Exodus 40:38). Yet Israel doesn’t revere the Lord as they are instructed, which brings God’s judgment. The Babylonians destroyed the Temple in 586 BC, which was subsequently rebuilt about seven decades later. Herod the Great added to the buildings of the Temple and the disciples are shocked when Jesus predicts its destruction, which is fulfilled in AD 70 after the nation rejects Him. Today God’s holy presence abides within each believer (Colossians 1:27). Let’s dedicate our bodies, which house His Holy Spirit, to Him. 

Employment Point: Honor God’s holy presence in your life by daily living for Him.

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Reflections

“The bells and pomegranates alternated around the hem of the robe to be worn for ministering, as the Lord commanded Moses.”Exodus‬ ‭39‬:‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• The bells and pomegranates on the high priest robe symbolize a balance between fruitful service, righteousness, and the audible testimony of obedience. They represent the need for the priest to be "fruitful" (pomegranates) while sounding a warning of his presence (bells) as he enters the Holy Place. 
• This is a sound reminder to us all too isn’t it? That each of our own calling does have to be one of obedience to Him in order to produce a fruitful ministry 

“He placed the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭40‬:‭30‬-‭32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• these few verses reminds me on how concerned the Lord was on their attitude and posture as priests. 
• In these modern times, these are probably not necessary any more but we should not forget how we ought to approach the Lord every single time. He wants clean hands and pure hearts. May this be our posture all the time.

““Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• these verses packed in quite a bit of info for us.
• We know that persecution will come, it’s a matter of time. And by then there will be so many false teachings flying everywhere. We therefore may know His word and know it well. Not just in our heads but know it in our hearts. For let’s not forget the enemy knows the word too. It can also be used against us. So be sure and discern what is truly from Him.
• Perhaps due to the many false teachings, people may up being disappointed in churches, in leaders, etc. i think we need to stay focused here. We follow the Lord, not the leaders. There is no one church that is perfect. Only one that speaks to you and you discern that their teachings are aligned with scriptures. Humans do fall short. But it is the Lord that we sing praises to. So if people say they go to xx church because who and who is preaching there, beware, who they are really worshipping. The Lord never fails.
• In the fallen world, the enemy will thrive and it is also when the end is near. It is thus even more important for us all to persevere, to stand firm in our faith, to not be shaken by the happenings of the world and to bear witness for Him. Always be ready.

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Are You Ready to Be Offered?

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

February 06

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering. — 2 Timothy 4:6 (R. V. Marg.)

To be ready to be offered is a question of will, not feelings. If we always wait to act until we feel like it, we might never do anything at all. But if we take the initiative and decide to act, exerting our will, if we tell God that we are ready to be offered and that we will accept the consequences, whatever they may be, we will find that no matter what he asks, we are able to do it without complaint.

God puts each of us through crises we must face alone. These are trials intended just for us; no one else can help us with them. But if we prepare for these challenges internally first—if we say, “I willmeet this challenge, no matter what”—then we’ll be able to rise to the challenge when it actually comes, taking no thought for the cost to ourselves. If we don’t make this kind of determined, private agreement with God in advance, we’ll end up falling into self-pity when difficulty arises.

“Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar” (Psalm 118:27 kjv). The altar represents the purifying fire, the fire that burns away every attachment God has not chosen for us, every connection that isn’t a connection to him. We don’tchoose what gets burned away; God does. Our job is to bind the sacrifice, and to make sure we don’t give in to self-pity when the fire starts. After we’ve traveled this way of fire, there is nothing that can oppress us or make us afraid. When crises come, we realize that things cannot touch us as they once did.

Tell God you are ready to be offered, and God will prove himself all you ever dreamed he was.

Exodus 39-40; Matthew 23:23-39

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Seeing is never believing: we interpret what we see in the light of what we believe. Faith is confidence in God before you see God emerging; therefore the nature of faith is that it must be tried.

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Reflections

The readiness to say yes to God has to come from our hearts. We first mostly battle within whether we want to do it, or if we were called to do it. Then even when we are called to do it, we hesitate because of unknown territories or outcomes. We ended up with internal struggles even before we step out.

What are all these struggles and why are we battling so much? I believe it stems from fear, the fear of the unknown, the lost of control, because we are so used to being in control and what we are familiar with or perhaps even for our own lack of faith.

I’m sure many can resonate on what Jonah runs away from His calling or why Moses say no to the Lord. I think we kind of know where the Lord is calling us but then again, at times we are at denial at ourselves, refusing to acknowledge what we know is actually reality. Maybe we are afraid so we choose to deny or even run away. However, what I do know, is that the Lord picked us for a reason. For whatever reasons which we may not understand, we just need to obey and say yes ok, I will do it (even though we didn’t even know where to start). He is looking for that willingness on our part to fulfil His purpose. It can be big or small or even trivial to some but it matters to Him.

Other times, we know we have the gift, yet when we are called, we shy away from it, pushing it away to others. If we reflect it a little bit more, I’m not sure we are considered hypocrites then or we are avoiding the responsibility that the Lord has placed on our hands?

Father I pray for clear directions as to where You want us to go and what You want us to do. Grant us peace knowing that You are in full control and help us to just trust in You to lead the way. Help us not to rely on our own strengths but on Yours alone. In Jesus’s name I ask and pray. Amen. 🙏🏻