Posts Tagged ‘Temple’
Wednesday, May 15th, 2013
Humility, May 15
”Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
”The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
’I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’
”And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’
”I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18:10-14, www.solascriptura.com
Father, we do “works” in Your name of all kinds and we sometimes we feel proud, when joy would have been a better response. Thank You for teaching us that our heart must be right with You for our works to be blessed. You teach us that humility and contrition must precede our efforts to please You.
Father, we each respond so positively when people praise us that we end up, at times, being tempted to take the credit for that which was intended to glorify You. Teach us today that even good works count for nothing if we act as though they stem from our own resources.
Father, bless our efforts but more importantly help us experience the humility that is indicative of a servant, grateful to be Your friend. Mold us and make us in Your image, afresh, every day. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: adulterers, breast, exalts, extortioners, fast, God, Heaven, humbled, Humility, merciful, Pharisee, sinner, tax, Temple, tithes, unjust
Posted in Christianity, Humility, Prayer, Religion | 10 Comments »
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013
Temple of God, May 1
…do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Ephesians 5:17-20, www.solascriptura.com
O’ God, we do pray for wisdom and discernment, we do pray for Your word to penetrate our hearts and minds. We do seek to fulfill your will for our lives.
Here we are taught that being out of control, whether it is from alcohol or drugs, leads to dissipation. Most of us have seen the ugly effects being drunk or spaced out. What we need Father, is to learn from what we see and then to rely on Your Spirit within us to overcome temptation and to present our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit.
Your admonition is completely positive when You tell us to speak to each other in psalms and spiritual songs, making melody in our heart, to You and to the world. When that happens, we simply give thanks to You, in the name of Jesus. What a perfectly natural response to joy, sent to us as a gift.
When disappointments come, and they will not cease to come until we are with You, we do not have joy for the pain, but we are able to have joy as we endure the pain by accessing Your peace and comfort. We are Your temple, You will deliver us; of that we are certain. We pray for Your counsel in our lives in Jesus’ name, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: dissipation, drunk, Father, heart, hymns, Jesus, Lord, melody, singing, songs, Spirit, Temple, understand, unwise, wine
Posted in Christianity, Forgiven, Holy Spirit, Perseverance, Prayer, faith | 8 Comments »
Monday, April 29th, 2013
Forgiven, April 29
Now early in the morning (Jesus) came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.
“Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”
This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”
And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
John 8:2-11, www.solascriptura.com
Jesus, You teach us much in these verses. We pray for wisdom and discernment in understanding. You, again, cite, “early in the morning” as the time You went to the Temple to pray and teach. Prime time with the Father seems to be “early in the morning”.
Then You teach us that the scribes (lawyers) and Pharisees (religious leaders) are in the role of accusers. You did not say they accused falsely, Jesus, You said they too commit sins of various kinds and if any of them thought they were without sin, then step up and cast the first stone in the killing process.
You then teach us that everyone has a conscience that either accuses them or excuses them and that we personally know when we have sinned whether other people know it or not.
Then, in Your mercy, you teach us that adultery is not a sin unto death if one confesses and repents (changes direction). You forgive the woman and you encourage her. O’ God, if we could but have that kind of mercy and hope when we see sin in action. Help us today to be part of the healing process, not one of those who accuse. In Jesus’ Holy name, we pray, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O.Box 302 Franklin, TN 37064
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Tags: adultery, condemned, Conscience, convicted, Forgiven, Jesus, law, Moses, pharisees, scribes, sin, stone, stoned, Temple, woman
Posted in Christianity, Conscience, Fidelity, Forgiven, Hope, Providence of God | 8 Comments »
Monday, April 8th, 2013
Temple of God, April 8
… you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone,
in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19-22, www.solascriptura.com
Father, it is sometimes difficult to admit it, but we were all once strangers and foreigners to You. That was our condition before we learned of Your grace to us and of salvation from Jesus. But now we are citizens of heaven with all of the other saints, we are members of Your household. We are family!
As we learn from the apostles, prophets and Jesus, we build a foundation for our inner temple, where we are able to know You better every day and trust You more every day. Your word says we are the dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Help us Father to be an effective witness of Your love. Let our Joy in You be evident to all, all of the time. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: family, God, Holy, Jesus, strangers, Temple
Posted in Christianity, Family Bible Study, God's Children, faith | No Comments »
Thursday, March 14th, 2013
Temple of God, March 14
…God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, www.solascriptura.com
Father, indeed, we who love You with all our heart, mind and soul and love our neighbor as ourselves, are not appointed to Your wrath. We know that does not mean that we are protected from the wrath of mankind, where people are capable of heinous crime.
We are protected from Your wrath and most theologians take that to mean we will not endure Armageddon, because we will have been caught up in the clouds, either before the 7 years of tribulation, in the middle of the 7 years or at the end of the 7 years. You have chosen to not make it perfectly clear whether we should hold a pre-trib, mid-trib or post-trib view but You have made it clear we should be “ready.” If we are ready we will be taken to Your side and we will not endure the final trials that will occur.
You have appointed us to salvation. Your grace called us and Your Son took away our sin. Help us, today, to respond to Your love and mercy. Being protected by You, for eternity, is Your promise.
When we do experience the wrath of man, help us know that the suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared to what You have prepared for us. We are Yours, forever, not just for this extremely brief moment of time (a finite number is incomparable to an infinite number) but for eternity. If we live less than three score and ten, we graduate early (to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord) and if we live longer we get to serve longer. Bless us this day, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: Christ, died, God, Jesus, Lord, salvation, sleep, Temple, wrath
Posted in Christianity, God's Children, Temple of God, faith, salvation | 21 Comments »
Monday, February 18th, 2013
Peace, February 18
Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”
And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
”Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.
”They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;
”for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Revelation 7:13-17, www.solascriptura.com
Father, we know that the great tribulation will be a time of extreme testing. There are those who will endure the temptations wherein we are asked to serve someone beside You; but here these saints, whose sins were washed away by the blood of Your perfect Lamb, Jesus, are depicted as an example of what You have in store for the faithful.
We also see that those who are saved will serve You. Father, sometimes we think of our future with You as moments of esteem, where we are honored for our faith. Yes, we will be honored for our faith but our eternal future will be one of being led by You to the living water and the tears we shed here will be remembered no more. We will abide in perfection; no hunger, no thirst, no excess heat, but just joy in serving You, not seeking to be honored but to be led and shepherded by You.
Remove from us our earthly bonds that we might be with You but until then, help us joyfully and faithfully serve others and to love and obey You. We pray in Jesus’ Holy name, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: blood, day, elders, hunger, Lamb, peace, Revelation 7:13-17, robes, tears, Temple, thirst, throne, washed, waters, white
Posted in Christianity, Courage, End Times, Forgiven, God's Children, God's Gift, Heaven, Perseverance | 104 Comments »
Thursday, February 14th, 2013
Temple of God, February 14
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
I Peter 5:8-10, www.solascriptura.com
Dear God, sometimes we forget that we who love You have a big target on our back and that Satan is indeed looking for ways to bring us down, to break our faith and to make us doubt that You are there for us. It seems apparent, Father, that Satan does not waste time bringing down those who he thinks belong to him (You have taught us that he has limitations of time and space).
We pray that no one will choose evil over good, Satan over You. You say to resist the devil. How do we do that, given the range of his power that You have granted to him? Your word says we, in and of our own strength, can not resist him. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can withstand the temptations that Satan places before us. Nothing is as insightful as your word…”may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”
Thank You for sharing Your wisdom and truth with us. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: adversary, brotherhood, devil, devour, eternal, faith, God, grace, perfect, resist, roaring lion, sober, steadfast, suffering, Temple, vigilant, world
Posted in Christianity, Courage, Perseverance, faith | 87 Comments »
Sunday, November 4th, 2012
Temple of God, November 4, 2008
…you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.”
“I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 6:16-18, www.solascriptura.com
Father, You say we are the temple, the temple in which You reside. It is a humbling thought indeed to believe that we are the building, the body in which You reside.
How Father, should we treat the temple? If we see ourselves, as we move through the day, as a temple in which You reside, how will that effect our interactions?
How Father shall we adorn the temple? Does it matter if we take care to have the body that houses the temple be clean and presentable? What expectations do You have of us for taking care of the temple? Is body piercing and are tattoos alright? Are we too immodest at times? In what ways might we disappoint You as we present ourselves to the world?
O’ God, help us today to focus on the fact that we are temples of Your presence. Teach us how You would have us care for our bodies and to know what is acceptable and unacceptable in Your sight. You ask us to “Come out from among them and be separate.” In what ways are we to be separate, to be different and yet distinctly Yours?
We pray with questions and look to Your Holy word for answers. Given the fact that You have written the truth upon our hearts, perhaps introspection is all the inspection we need. We know that we must be in the world to be effective but help us not to become “of the world.” We pray these things in Jesus’ name, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O.Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: daughters, God, separate, sons, Temple, unclean
Posted in Christianity | 60 Comments »
Thursday, November 1st, 2012
The Providence of God, November 1
God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God.
Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; for You render to each one according to his work.
Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple.
By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation, you who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of the far-off seas;
Psalm 62:11-12, Psalm 65:4-5, www.solascriptura.com
Father, the world will witness your power. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that you are Lord, including those who have not yet done so. It is your mercy that we seek. You have chosen us and even now You draw us near to You in spite of our weaknesses.
You have taught us that one day in your court is better than thousands elsewhere. Give us the necessary faith to look to our eternal future with confidence and joy.
We know that You provide for us materially but Father, please renew within us a right Spirit, one that responds to your constant presence and love. It is the serenity of Your presence in the midst of challenges that we seek. Help us today to observe Your wonderful creation afresh. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O.Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: earth, God, goodness, Lord, mercy, power, Providence, Psalms 62:11-12, Psalms 65:4-5, salvation, sea, Temple, work
Posted in Christianity, Courage, God's Gift, Hope, Providence of God | 51 Comments »
Saturday, October 20th, 2012
Temple of God, October 20
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
… he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 6:15, 17, 19-20, www.solascriptura.com
Father, elsewhere You have taught us that when we invite You into our heart, that we become one with You, just as when a man and woman come together, their union makes them “as one”. Here we learn that when we decide to acknowledge and accept Your grace in our lives, we become as one with Jesus.
Father, it is clear that fidelity to You, the Holy Spirit in us, is of utmost importance. We were bought at a great price and if we say we love You, and in fact do love You, at least for a while, and then decide to kick You out of our lives, then we have committed the unpardonable sin which You defined in Hebrews 6:4-6.
So it is Father, with a man and a woman. Fidelity is not an option because if it was, we would be going against Your stated will, for a man and a woman. O’God, teach us, right now, how much fidelity to You and fidelity to those we make vows to here, matters. Where we have erred, forgive us we pray and enable us to go forward in Your strength. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Bruce Caldwell
The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O.Box 302, Franklin TN 37064
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Tags: Christ, glorify, God, Holy Spirit, Lord, Spirit, Temple
Posted in Christianity, God's Gift, Holy Spirit, Religion, Temple of God | 3 Comments »