“But will God really dwell on earth with humans? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built.” 2 Chronicles 6:18 NIV
King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, couldn’t come to terms that God who created the heavens and earth could possibly show Himself and dwell in the Temple he had built. The universe is not big enough for God to dwell in, let alone Solomon’s Temple. But God did manifest Himself showing His presence in the Temple. He chose to be with His people as they came to offer sacrifices and worship Him.
Christians today find it just as hard to accept the living God, the creator of the universe, can live inside us through the Holy Spirit once we have accepted Christ as savior. But Scripture is clear that is the case. John, the apostle writes, “This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.” (1Jn.4:13 niv) And Paul in writing to the church in Corinth encouraged them by saying, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” (1Cor.3:16 niv) The God of the universe dwells in every believer.
If you find that hard to believe, just take it by faith because it is true. The closer you get to God in your private time with Him through prayer and reading His Word you’ll begin to know it is true. He is with you and desires to be with you. Solomon marveled how God could be present in the huge, magnificent Temple of his day. We marvel today that our bodies are called the Temple of the Holy Spirit and God dwells within us. What a comfort that should be when we take it by faith, and may we live accordingly.
“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29 NASB
It isn’t often or ever that the same daily Bible verse appears on my desk calendar and the Bible app on my phone. So was the case a couple of days ago. I’m not one to read too much into these occurrences accepting them as a coincidence. But I’m also not one to not take a second look. Although I’m persuaded God was not giving me a sign, I am convinced He leads me in my writing through daily verses of Scripture and daily experiences in my life. Today’s verse is a good one.
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he addresses the ‘Christian’s Walk’ in chapter four. He encourages them not to walk as they did before coming to know Christ, but to put on their new nature. He tells them to stop lying, and not to be angry. Paul continues and instructs them not to steal, and to make sure they are working for a living. He then gets to the part where he tells them, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” (Eph.4:29 nasb)
This may be the most important instruction he gives. Paul is saying that our speech should serve as edification to those around us. Careless words slip out so easily causing a lot of hurt feelings. Instead of building others up, we tear them down with our unwholesome words. When we hurt others, we grieve the Holy Spirit. Paul wraps it up by saying, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” (Eph.4:30-31 nasb) We can only do this with wholesome words.
Jesus, the healer and miracle worker, continues His ministry departing Tyre in the Phoenician region, and heading back to the Sea of Galilee. Jesus and His disciples traveled 20 miles north passing through Sidon, then traveled southeast to the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee to the area of the Decapolis. As always, when Jesus arrives, a crowd forms and the sick are quickly brought to Him.
“A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.” (Mk.7:32 nlt) Jesus wanted some privacy with the man and led him away so they could be alone. Mark records Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears. The reason for this is not given, but a good indication maybe He was letting the man know he would soon be able to hear. The next sequence seems strange to us for our times as Jesus spits and touches the man’s tongue and, “Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, ‘Ephphatha,’ which means, ‘Be opened!’” (Mk.7:34 nlt) The man was healed instantly. He could hear and speak plainly. Mark adds that Jesus sighed while performing this miracle, perhaps a display of His compassion for the man and what he has gone through. We would be careful to note that Jesus’ physical actions played no part in the healing, it was His miraculous power that opened the man’s ears and loosened his tongue.
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Again, Jesus tries to maintain a low profile during this phase of His ministry, but it isn’t possible as the news of this healing begins to spread. The people once again responded in amazement of one who could heal a man who was deaf and mute. Isaiah, in his writings, prophesied about the coming Messiah and what He will do. “And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!” (Is.35:5-6 nlt) The people were witnessing the unveiling of Isaiah’s prophesies.
Soon another large crowd develops, grows, and begins to follow Jesus for three days seeking healing and desiring to hear His teaching. After three days whatever food everyone had was now depleted and they were far from home. Notice Jesus’ compassion for the people as he speaks with His disciples. “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance.” (Mk.8:2-3 nlt) When Jesus looked upon the crowd at the feeding of the 5,000, we looked at a few weeks ago, He stress His compassion for them as sheep wandering around without a shepherd. This time Jesus is stressing His concern for this crowd’s basic need of food, nourishment to sustain them physically. This a lesson all Christians and the church need to heed. Yes, we need to preach the gospel to them, but it goes a lot better when the people are fed and are not hungry.
The disciples, sensing Jesus’ compassion, respond in a manner of concern but failed to remember His previous miracle of feeding the 5,000 plus women and children. They were slow to learn, but so are we at times. Jesus doesn’t criticize them for their lack of faith at this moment, but He will address it later with them. For now, He simply ask them what they were able to find, knowing what He could do with what they brought Him. The disciples had seven loaves of bread and Jesus went to work. Jesus had the people sit down. He then took the loaves, gave thanks to God, started breaking the bread into pieces giving them to the disciples who distributed it to the crowd. Jesus was given a few small fish, but a few small fish is plenty in the Master’s hands. The disciples gave these out with the bread and the Bible says, “They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food.” (Mk.8:8 nlt)
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Jesus met their physical need of nourishment for the way home, and most likely sent the leftovers with them. This crowd could have been close to 16,000 people when including the women and children. No one went home hungry that day. Jesus’ compassion for them is the same He has for us. It covers our whole being, body, soul, and spirit. He cares about our physical needs, our basic needs of food, clothing and shelter, and most of all our spiritual needs in providing the way of salvation through His shed blood on the cross at calvary. We have a compassionate savior. Have you met Him yet or are you still searching for Him? He’s not hard to find, just follow the crowd.
In the 1960’s and early 1970’s the slogan ‘Power to the People’ gained a vast audience and became extremely popular in the United States. It was a call for people to take control of governments and institutions. Predominantly started and expressed by the younger generation against what was perceived as oppression from the older generation, it covered a lot of territory. Politically it was against the government and the Vietnam War. Segments of the movement were revolutionary with social justice at its roots. ‘Power to the People’ was used to exploit the rich, and defame any enterprise deemed as ‘The Establishment.’ This power was self-driven and self-accepted. Five decades later there is still fruit from that historic period.
Power and influence are contagious no matter where your politics or worldview stands. It is vital to seek the true source of power when attempting to change the world. King David in the 68th Psalm said, “The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people.” (Ps.68:35 nasb) Israel is God’s chosen people. He gives His victorious power freely to His children. True strength and power only come from the Lord God above and not us. David also reminds us that true peace only comes from God and not us orchestrating it on our own. “The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.” (Ps.29:11 nasb)
True power and true peace come from only one source, the Lord God of heaven. There are still many injustices in the world today needing to be addressed. Perhaps more ‘power to the people’ is necessary. But make sure you ask God to give you the power and not seek your own power to change the world. Don’t be persuaded by others who follow the god of this world. The Lord will gladly give His power to His people to carry out His will in helping others and living righteously.
Interest in apocalyptic literature has increased over the years. It took a massive jump in the 20th century and seems about ready to reach its peak, but that is speculation on my part. What is certain; we are living in unprecedented times. A massive technological explosion only matched by the increase in greed, violence, government corruption, persecution, and outright distain for God puts us on a track where there seems to be no return. The world, under the influence of the evil one, is heading in that direction.
As horrific as the current and future events are for this world, we can rest assured God is still in control. In the end God will make all things right. Perfect justice will be administered. In fact, the court room is being prepared, and it may not be long before the court is in session. Satan’s hold on this world will end. The prophet Daniel recalls in one of his visions, “‘But the court will convene for judgment and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.” (Dan.7:26 nasb)
As Christians we can rejoice in God’s judgement and rejoice even more for His saving grace sparing us from His judgement against sin. (except for the grace of God go I) People are curious about ‘the end of the world’ as they say. We may not understand all that is going to occur in those future days, but we can tell those with inquiring minds what we are certain of, God’s salvation plan. God sent His Son, Jesus, to redeem us from God’s judgment of sin by putting that sin and judgment on Himself. Accepting what Jesus has done for us guarantees us an eternal home with Him. Another fact we are certain of is this; Jesus will return, and His court will convene. Satan’s dominion will be destroyed forever. Tell what we know.
“If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” John 13:14 NASB
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On the night Jesus was betrayed, He taught us the meaning of servanthood. Jesus was celebrating the Passover for the last time with His disciples before His crucifixion. When no one took the initiative to do what was customary in that day, to wash the feet of those entering the home, Jesus responded. His twelve disciples never gave it a thought, it wasn’t their home, but a room granted them for the occasion. It was the servant’s job of the home to perform this duty. Since it wasn’t their home and they weren’t servants, the disciples inferred, not my job. But the Lord showed them, it was their job, it’s our job.
Pride, indifference, laziness, lack of urgency, and unawareness are all factors in reasoning, not my job. Paying more attention to ourselves than to those around us causes us not to see peoples’ needs that are right in front of us. How many times have you said to yourself, ‘someone should do something about this?’ and then pass it by. Yes, maybe it’s none of your business, but if it’s needed or urgent and the right thing to do within reason, we should do it. There is also a tendency to assume that some jobs are just beneath us, and we wouldn’t want to be seen doing them. Jesus washed the disciples’ dirty feet. All the disciples saw it, John wrote about it, and we read it. All the world now knows, and it was done to teach us all.
So, is there anything you wouldn’t do as a courtesy or to help someone in need? Outside of it being shady or illegal, there shouldn’t be. May we follow Jesus’ example and take up jobs that aren’t our jobs, but in realty are our jobs. Happy serving!
Psalm 66 is a psalm of praise for God’s answer to prayer. It is a psalm of both national deliverance and individual deliverance. The psalmist and the nation have been saved from their enemies. The whole earth is encouraged to shout joyful praises to God for His awesome deeds. (Ps.66:1-4) All of us are invited to “Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles he performs for people!” (Ps.66:5 nlt) The psalmist has a story to tell.
The story is told of God dividing the Red Sea making a pathway for His children to escape from their enemies on dry ground. This same God continues to rule the nations today and they are advised not to rebel against Him. Again, the psalmist encourages praise, “Let the whole world bless our God and loudly sing his praises. Our lives are in his hands.” (Ps.66:8-9 nlt)
The psalmist testifies of the trouble both he and the nation have gone through. Not unlike our troubles today. It is described as going through flood and fire, but not without God’s knowledge and His purposes. In the end the Lord brings us out to a place of great abundance. This causes the psalmist to say, “Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me.” (Ps.66:16 nlt) He has a story to tell.
How about you? Do you have a story to encourage someone today? What has God delivered you from that can help one who is struggling with the same thing? It could be something big or something small, it doesn’t matter. Sometimes small things cause us the most heartache. Share how the Lord delivered you from them, and how He answers prayer. We all have a story to tell. It’s time to be a storyteller.
“But many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation.” Ezra 3:12 NLT
The older some people get, the more they long for the ‘good old days.’ Of course, not everyone does this, but most of us like to at least reminisce about a time in the past. Our minds may recall the past perfectly, especially those with significant meaning attached to them. The sights and sounds of those events are etched forever in our mind. Trying to recreate those special moments sometimes work out, but other times they fail to capture what it once was. These sad occurrences often happen when we go back to a place that has changed due to our carelessness, mismanagement, or our outright sin.
The older folks from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin experienced a super letdown when the foundation was laid for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple. After seventy years of captivity, the Jewish people were allowed to return to their homeland with the purpose of rebuilding the Temple that was destroyed and to reestablish worship with God. The original Temple that was destroyed was Solomon’s Temple with its magnificent splendor in structure, size, and beautiful ornamental arrangements. It was a sight to behold. The destruction of the Temple along with the people being taken captive were due to their continued disobedience to the Lord God. But God in His faithfulness promised they would return after seventy years to the place from where they were taken. They would rebuild and worship God once again in Jerusalem, but it would no longer be the same.
You may be at a place in your life where God has restored you after a period of bad times. You may be back in fellowship with Him, but you keep going back to those ‘good old days.’ Perhaps it’s regret or guilt you just can’t seem to shake, or the bitterness you refuse to let go of. Whatever the case is, know that God is making all things new. “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” (Is.43:19 nlt) The Lord forgives us of our past sins and will restore us as we confess and repent. He puts us a new path looking forward to His future blessings. Rejoice God hasn’t forgotten you and see His leading to something new as you wipe away the tears from your eyes.
“Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you. Listen to his instructions and store them in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored—so clean up your life.” Job 22:21-23 NLT
If you’re a Christian, you can’t stay mad at God forever. Let me rephrase that. If you’re truly a Christian, you can’t stay mad at God and not have it affect your life. It’s impossible. The disconnect between you and your creator who had you in mind before time began leads to a life of confusion, bitterness, and loneliness. He made you and chose you for a relationship with Him, and now you’re mad at Him. God may not be mad at you, but disappointed you blame Him for the state you are in. If you want that relationship restored, you can’t stay mad at God forever.
The book of Job is an interesting book. Job, through no fault of his own, lost everything that mattered to him, even his health, except for his wife. He had three friends who tried to console him but only accused him of sinning before God. Their solution was to confess, repent, and his troubles would go away. The only problem was, Job hadn’t sinned. Although they failed to recognize Job’s true character, their advice was good if it was warranted. Take Eliphaz’s third response to Job in chapter 22. All good advice. Too bad it was wasted on a man who couldn’t use it.
Though Job couldn’t use Eliphaz’s advice, we can. Seeing your life unraveled by the choices you’ve made, it’s easy to want to put the blame on someone else. After all, it couldn’t be you. Ultimately, you conclude that it must be God. So, you blame Him. Why would He let this happen? You are mad, and your life is miserable. It’s time to not be mad at God anymore.
If we submit to God, returning to Him and listen to His instructions we will be restored. “Then you will take delight in the Almighty and look up to God. You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows to him. You will succeed in whatever you choose to do, and light will shine on the road ahead of you.” (Job 22:26-28 nlt) Not bad advice for one who needs it. Don’t stay mad at God. You can’t do it!
“She replied, ‘That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.’” Mark 7:28 NLT
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This week in our Sunday Biblical Insights we stumble across a difficult passage mostly misunderstood, or at least hard to understand. But in the final analysis it is the gospel of Jesus Christ available to all people through the faith of everyone who believes as exemplified through a mother’s faith. We left Jesus last week as He was again answering questions from the Pharisees who had come from Jerusalem to the Gennesaret region. Crowds were following Jesus everywhere He went, and this was unsettling for the religious rulers of the day. After answering the Pharisees and teaching the crowds Jesus leaves the area going north to the region of Tyre.
“Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre. He didn’t want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn’t keep it a secret.” (Mk.7:24 nlt) Jesus’ goal for this trip was to get some much-needed rest by getting away from the crowds and the Pharisees and to have quality time to teach His disciples. Tyre was 30 miles Northwest of Capernaum in Phoenicia, which is modern-day Lebanon. As is the case, wherever Jesus traveled, even into Gentile territory, it could not be kept a secret for long. Soon, people knew He was in town. Scripture says a Syrophoenician women who had heard about Jesus came and fell at His feet. She was a Gentile of Syrian descent, a descendant of the Canaanites, who spoke Greek. Her daughter was possessed by an evil spirit, and she came begging Jesus to cast it out.
The woman was begging, repeatedly asking Jesus to cast the demon out of her daughter. Jesus’ answer to her was, “First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” (Mk.7:27 nlt) On the surface, this sounds like a derogatory remark. Many Jews of that day would call Gentiles ‘dogs’ out of disrespect, but that is far from what Jesus was saying. The term for ‘dogs’ that is used is a little dog, or household pet. This was not a reference to the wild dogs that roamed throughout the region. What Jesus is saying is He came to reach His own people, the Jews, first. As we have seen throughout this gospel Jesus had been going mainly throughout Jewish territories. This is the deepest He has gone into a Gentile area, but as was noted His popularity always precedes Him. There would be day when God’s blessings are also extended to the Gentiles as well. Jesus was testing the mother’s faith. He was comparing the ‘little dogs’ to Gentiles. Jesus’ imagery of the food table within a home point to salvation is of the Jews and the Gentiles are part of the household and are not excluded. The mother got it, and it is displayed in her answer to the Lord.
“She replied, ‘That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.’” (Mk.7:28 nlt) The mother responded with a worshipful attitude calling Jesus, ‘Lord’. This is the only time Jesus is addressed as Lord in the gospel of Mark, and it comes from a Gentile woman. She had faith in Christ for who He is, and what He can do for her daughter, realizing she herself was sinful and unworthy of blessings. All she asked for were the scraps and the crumbs that fell from the children’s hands. This mother knew she and her daughter were included in God’s salvation plan and Jesus can heal her daughter.
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Jesus commended her for her answer and sent home saying. “‘Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.’ And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.’” (Mk.7:29-30 nlt) When this mother heard about Jesus, she had faith that He would be able to cast out the evil spirit from her daughter. May this mother’s faith be our faith. She had faith in the only one who would be able to heal her daughter and her own soul. It is Jesus Christ the Son of God who came not only to cast our demons but to save both Jew and Gentile who put their faith in Him by accepting Him as Lord and savior.
Word for the Soul 