Temple

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Ezra 1:2 Building God’s Temple

This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.” Ezra 1:2

All throughout the world buildings of various sorts are constantly being built by someone. Most of those buildings being built have been commissioned by someone else to get them built. A group of construction workers work together to build what is desired by the owner, whether it is a house, storage building, commercial building or any other type of building.

While the Israelites were in exile in Persia, Cyrus, king of Persia, said that God had appointed him to build a temple in Jerusalem.

The majority of people throughout the world will never have their hands on building a physical building, despite the hundreds of thousands of buildings being built on a daily basis all over the world. Neither will most people be one of the people commissioning someone else to build a building.

Even though most cannot build a physical building, every person can have the opportunity to be a part of building a temple for God. This temple being built for God is not a physical one, such as a church building, but a spiritual one in their own hearts and lives and in the lives of other people.

Every believer is a temple of God that is a building block in the larger church of God worldwide. Individually each believer is growing and maturing in Christ Jesus, being built up into the temple of God. At the same time, every believer is to be a witness to others and are to disciple others, training them in holiness and righteousness, to be a temple of God for all the world to see.

God has called you to believe and be a part of His holy temple here on the earth. Jesus commissioned you to go out and make disciples wherever you go and to all that you meet.

Begin by allowing your life to be a temple where God can dwell by being holy and righteous as Christ enables you. Regardless of where you live, there are thousands of people around you who need to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. They need become a temple of God. Go out and make disciples so that others can be a temple where God can dwell.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as Lord and Savior; that you will know you are temple of God; that you will be a witness of Jesus to the world; that you will make disciples for Jesus of those around you; that the Holy Spirit will guide you in building His temple on the earth; and that others will become a temple of God because of your testimony and work for God.

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2 Chronicles 3:17 Established And Strengthened By God

He erected the pillars in the front of the temple, one to the south and one to the north. The one to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz. 2 Chronicles 3:17

Every building that is built has some type of support structure to keep it standing. Most are built with just walls that can support it. A few will have pillars supporting in various positions for aesthetic looks.

Each one is built and established by someone with a dream or a desire of a specific purpose for that building.

Solomon had two pillars made for the temple that he named one Jakin–meaning ‘He establishes’, and the other Boaz–meaning ‘in Him is strength’.

Wealthy people have often established their own businesses to gain more wealth. They find their strength in what they do and have. Having this type of establishment will work for a time but can and will eventually falter and fail in the end. Anything established and supported by the world is only temporary and cannot give one eternal life.

God in His great wisdom and love created man and then later established the way for man to be saved and given eternal life. It is only by the work of Jesus upon the cross that any person can receive eternal life.

Along with establishing man, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to give the believer strength needed to live the life God has called him to live. All this work is begun by God and completed by God. He is the two towers in the life of a believer–the establisher and the strength. The believer must only accept it and use what God has provided.

Living with being established and supported by God will give one strength to live a holy life and live for eternity.

You may have many different supports of strength in your life. However, most of those supports are only temporary and cannot provide true life that will extend into eternity.

In your own power and strength, you will never be able to live the holy life God has called you to live that will bring you into eternity. God has established you as a believer, a child of His with His support and strength. He has provided you abundantly for all that you will need to be holy as He is holy.

Make sure God is the two pillars in your life.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will be established by God for His glory; that you will be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to live a holy life and do His work on the earth; and that you will be the temple of God.

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2 Chronicles 2:5 Will You Be A Great Temple For God?

The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods. 2 Chronicles 2:5

All over the world there are temples that have been built that are magnificent in structure. They are built to worship God and many other false gods. Along with those types of temples, people and things have been built up and worshipped as a god.

Each and every one of these temples are all temporary and completely man-made. They may last several thousand years, but eventually will fall apart and fade away into history and oblivion.

Solomon said that the temple he was going to make would be great because God is greater than all the other gods.

Although most believers gather together to worship God in a church or temple building, those places are not the true temple of God. They are just man-made places to gather together to worship God and be taught God’s word in a corporate setting. This is regardless of whether it is a house church or part of some organized church, it is all a gathering place.

Once Jesus left the earth believers became the temple of God, the place where God would dwell. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be with each and every believer. God now dwells inside the heart and life of a believer.

Jesus started the building of the believer upon the person choosing to repent of his sins and believe in Him.

Each and every believer should strive to live as Jesus did–holy and righteous–pure before God. Jesus made the believer pure so that he could then live a holy life.

It is now up to the believer to allow the Holy Spirit to change him into a new creation–a great and holy temple for God to dwell in.

You have been forgiven of your sins and made pure and holy before God. Each and every day you have to make a choice to continue to live for God in His way and by His commands.

Do not allow yourself to be contaminated with the sin of this world and be a temple to a false god. God desires to be with you all day and night every day. Keep yourself pure and holy for Him. Be the great and holy temple for God for Him to dwell in continually.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that God’s Holy Spirit will dwell in you; that you will know the cleansing purification Jesus provides; that you will live the holy life God has called you to live; and that you will be a holy temple unto God for Him to dwell in.

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2 Kings 22:7 Being Trustworthy

But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are honest in their dealings. 2 Kings 22:7

Being honest is something that most people want of other people but are often to have found fallen short in their own lives. Many find it easy to cut corners and cheat in order to attempt to make it further. Knowing this, most people struggle with being able to find others trustworthy. As a result, many businesses and organizations set up many different ways to try and hold people accountable with money and things being used.

When Josiah became king, he had men begin to work on restoring the temple. He said that the men doing the work did not have to account for the money given to them because they were honest in what they did.

Everyday every person is accountable for something to someone else in their sphere of influence. This is often done for safety and protection of money and materials. Too many people are quick to cheat a system and take things for themselves that do not belong to them.

Behind closed doors it is very easy for someone to take some money off the top and keep it for themselves. Or to use it for themselves when it has not been authorized.

This not only occurs in the world, but also inside the church. Many ministers have been found guilty of taking money illegally or not reporting it correctly.

Believers should be the first to be honest in all of their dealings. At the basest level using or taking money that does not belong to one is stealing, which God has made a base commandment not to do. The believer’s word should be trustworthy enough that others do not need to make them account for their words and actions.

There are things in your life that are entrusted to you by others or by God. Regardless of what others see or don’t see, God will see your every action with what has been entrusted to you and hold you accountable.

Hold on to your integrity and do as God would want you to do with what you have. Be honest with everything you say and do to the point that the world does not even begin to question you or try to make you accountable.

Be trustworthy with what you have been entrusted with.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that God will strengthen you to be trustworthy in all that you say and do; that you will do things as God would want you to; and that the world can trust your words and actions as though they were God’s.

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2 Kings 12:6 Failing To Make Repairs

But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests still had not repaired the temple. 2 Kings 12:6

Making repairs is something that many people do not really like to do. They know that they need to be done and see it staring at them all the time, but busyness, costs or just plain laziness keeps them occupied otherwise.

Rather than make the necessary repairs, many will let things fall apart and trust that those things will still work and work with them in the delipidated condition. Others expect other people to make the repairs.

Prior to Joash becoming king, the temple had fallen into disrepair. As king he asked the priests to have it repaired. After twenty-three years the temple was still not repaired.

Most believers will meet together on a regular basis in a building for church services, to worship God and to be trained to do the work of the Lord in their communities. In many of these churches, the people will strive to keep the building in good repair in order to attract others and to look nice.

While they are willing to repair the physical church, many do not put much work into the new temple of God–their hearts and lives. Some believers will go for many years continuing to hold on to and practice some sinful practice with no intention of stopping. They refuse to really grow in the Lord, staying as they were and are in a fallen state of disrepair. Failing to make repairs is denying the power of God in one’s life.

Every believer needs to work on growing in God. There are always areas in one’s life that need to be repaired. God will touch the believer with His Holy Spirit revealing where changes and repairs need to be made.

Regardless of where you are in your walk with God as a believer, there are probably more areas that need to be repaired in your life. Do not allow yourself to settle with where you are but continue to grow and mature in the Lord.

Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in changes that need to be made so that you may be more like Jesus every day. As He shows you areas that need to be repaired, make those necessary repairs. Do not allow yourself to stay in a state of disrepair and sin.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will be the temple of God; that God will reveal to you areas in your life that need to be repaired for His glory; and that God will give you strength and direction to grow in Jesus.