No Noise
No hammer, axe, or iron tool was to be heard during construction of the Temple. All noisy work was finished off-site, to keep the Temple holy unto the LORD. This speaks, typologically, of the Church of Jesus Christ - made on earth of "lively stones," for the glorious moment when all saints will assemble "finished" in Heaven.
1 Kings 6:7 - "The house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building."
Solomon's Kingdom Comes of Age
The tribes of Israel grew "as the sand of the sea in multitude." Israel's borders expanded from Egypt to the surrounding rivers of the Middle East. Solomon's kingdom was rich in food-stuffs, cattle, oxen, sheep, harts, roebucks and fallowdeer. His stalls were filled with forty thousand horses, tended by twelve thousand horsemen. The king's palace was thirteen years in the building. But the Temple complex was the focal point.
1 Kings 6:2 - "The inside of the LORD's temple was ninety feet long, thirty feet wide, and forty-five feet high," (Contemporary English Version).
I Will Dwell Among Them
The Word of the LORD came to Solomon saying, "Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father." God magnificently promised to dwell in the new Temple. Isaiah saw God's Throne in the Temple [6:1]. When Israel backslid, Ezekiel saw the Throne leave [10:1,18].
1 Kings 6:13 - "I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel."
Delayed Gratification
God said to Abraham, "Get thee out of thy country, ...unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation." The Exodus from Egypt began 430 years later. Then, in 480 more years, Solomon began building the Temple. After seven more years, it was dedicated. If you have not yet waited 917 years for your promise to be fulfilled, don't panic.
1 Kings 6:1 - "In the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, ...he began to build the house of the LORD."
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| REST EASY BY SHEILA ASHCRAFT |
The day had begun earlier than my norm. I visited my prayer room as usual, but confessedly, time tugged and I relented after hurried devotion. The hours passed, each demanding its own allotment of my efforts and attention. The sun traversed its faithful path across the horizon until its warmth was replaced by a glorious evening show of lovely reds, pinks and low, azure, western sky. Rest beckons weary body, but sleep evades restless soul. It had been a very busy, yet productive day. So why this uneasiness, this restlessness? Getting up, I slip thru the darkness gently illumined by the glow of the full moon peeking thru the shaded windows. I make my way into my secret place. Peace. As we converse the tension releases its grip on my mind. My body relaxes. Ah, yes, that's it! I had rushed away too abruptly this morning, too restrained by time's demands to tarry long at His feet. This is what was missing. This is what my soul longs for. ‘This’ is life to me. I open the Word and He speaks,
"Their strength is to sit still...In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:...And therefore will the LORD wait.....blessed are all they that wait for him."
And finally, "Be still and know that I am God."
Be still my soul and wait on The Lord. Go to Him, for He waits for you.
All hopes and cares tucked neatly at the foot of the cross...mind easy...sweet sleep is mine.
(Isa.30:7,13,18) (Ps.46:10)
AnnetteTurner Testimony Time:
When I was 15 I was in a car accident that messed up my back. It wasn't till I was older that it really became a problem for me and here recently it had been causing me so much pain. I couldn't wash dishes, cook, stand for extended period of times without it "catching" and causing me to holler out in pain. It was horrible and I was miserable with the pain. One night at church here recently we had an evangelist preaching and he called me to the front and begin to tell me that God showed him that my back was hurt and he kept hearing car accident come to his mind. I did not tell him or anyone other than my family that I was in a car accident back then. Anyway he said God was going to heal me. He prayed for me and let me tell you God healed me. That was a few weeks ago before all this shelter-in place. I can wash my dishes with no pain. I can cook with no pain. I have NO pain in my
back. I am healed by the same God that raised Lazarus from the dead, that healed the blind man, that
made the dumb to speak. God is the same today as he was back then and I for one am thankful that he hasn't changed.
Tune In
He that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
– 1 Corinthians 14:2
Have you ever looked around at your own life or the life of the Church and wondered why it's taking the Lord so long to get things in order?
If so, let me tell you something I learned a few years ago. He's not the One who's slow. We are!
It's not God's fault that the Church still has spots and wrinkles. It's not His fault that we're not living in total victory. He's always ready. He's the great "I AM." We're the ones who fall short.
Compare it to turning on a radio. If you don't have it tuned to exactly the right frequency, you won't be able to hear the station. It's not the station's fault. It's sending out signals perfectly. The problem is, you haven't tuned in to it.
That's what's happening with you and me. We haven't fine tuned our spirits enough to pick up the voice of the Spirit. Oh, we pick up a few things now and then, but mostly we just fade in and out. We don't stay on God's wavelength all the time.
How do you adjust your spiritual tuner?
By praying in the spirit. Praying in other tongues is the fastest, most effective method I know of to tune in to God—because instead of praying your own thoughts and plans, you're praying His!
The Bible says that when you pray in tongues, you're speaking mysteries to God. In the spirit, you're calling forth parts of God's plan you don't even understand with your natural mind. By the unction of the Holy Spirit, you're praying the perfect will of God.
You see, God knows how to deliver His people. He knows how to turn us into the glorious Church without spot or wrinkle. He has a plan that will do it. And if we'll tap in to that plan and start releasing it into the earth by praying in the spirit, praying according to His will and not our own, this age will draw to a close quickly. If we'll all get our minds and hearts in tune with what God's doing, there will be an explosion of the power of God that will turn this world around!
Start adjusting your spiritual tuner today. Spend an hour praying in other tongues. Set your spirit on God's wavelength and just see how quickly the spots and wrinkles begin to disappear from you.
If so, let me tell you something I learned a few years ago. He's not the One who's slow. We are!
It's not God's fault that the Church still has spots and wrinkles. It's not His fault that we're not living in total victory. He's always ready. He's the great "I AM." We're the ones who fall short.
Compare it to turning on a radio. If you don't have it tuned to exactly the right frequency, you won't be able to hear the station. It's not the station's fault. It's sending out signals perfectly. The problem is, you haven't tuned in to it.
That's what's happening with you and me. We haven't fine tuned our spirits enough to pick up the voice of the Spirit. Oh, we pick up a few things now and then, but mostly we just fade in and out. We don't stay on God's wavelength all the time.
How do you adjust your spiritual tuner?
By praying in the spirit. Praying in other tongues is the fastest, most effective method I know of to tune in to God—because instead of praying your own thoughts and plans, you're praying His!
The Bible says that when you pray in tongues, you're speaking mysteries to God. In the spirit, you're calling forth parts of God's plan you don't even understand with your natural mind. By the unction of the Holy Spirit, you're praying the perfect will of God.
You see, God knows how to deliver His people. He knows how to turn us into the glorious Church without spot or wrinkle. He has a plan that will do it. And if we'll tap in to that plan and start releasing it into the earth by praying in the spirit, praying according to His will and not our own, this age will draw to a close quickly. If we'll all get our minds and hearts in tune with what God's doing, there will be an explosion of the power of God that will turn this world around!
Start adjusting your spiritual tuner today. Spend an hour praying in other tongues. Set your spirit on God's wavelength and just see how quickly the spots and wrinkles begin to disappear from you.
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