Wednesday, April 8, 2015

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FOREVER

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 7

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

This is a full-sized replica of an ancient synagogue located in Nazareth. Even when the Temple in Jerusalem was operating in the time of Jesus, local synagogues were used for schools, reading of the Scriptures, commenting on the Scriptures, and the worship of God. However, as useful as they were, they were always considered as temporary. The Temple of God is forever.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verse: 2 Samuel 7:16

And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.

Let’s fast forward to Luke 2:1-7. Jesus, the Seed of David, is born in “The city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he (Joseph) was of the house and lineage of David.” The “forever” King has arrived. No doubt, as the assistant to Paul, Luke had at least two years to research the material for his Gospel during Paul’s custody in Caesarea. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was still living. Bethlehem is only five miles south of Jerusalem. This careful physician, Luke, would have no doubt interviewed shepherds who were now 60 or 70 years old. Their memories of when they were 15 or 30 would still be sharp. It’s worthwhile to notice that no one, not even those who were enemies of Christ Jesus, questioned, in any writings, the truth of these reports. The promise of God to David through the Prophet Nathan has been fulfilled, and because “He ever lives” (Hebrews 7:25), it continues to be fulfilled. God promised that David’s son would build the Temple in Jerusalem, but David’s greatest Son would build the eternal Temple.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, You are building a Temple of “living stones.” I thank You that I have the faith to believe I’m one of those stones. I pray for grace to always be strong and in place as part of the mighty eternal structure You are building. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

When I drive north on Highway 69 into the city known as the nickel capital of the world, Sudbury, Ontario, I can’t miss the church building known as “Glad Tidings.” It’s on the left just across from a number of high-rise apartment buildings. The former Glad Tidings, where I was pastor during its construction, is there on the right atop the next high rock. It’s now “All Nations Baptist Church.” Every time I pass that structure, I see the large retaining wall which keeps the parking lot from falling down onto the highway. I arranged to strengthen that wall with steel rods from the rolling mills of INCO, the International Nickel Company. In the process of grinding the ore into a powder, these rods, which helped do the job, were ground down from a four-inch diameter to about a one-inch diameter, and then discarded. Of course I got them free, and along with volunteers from the congregation, we placed hundreds of them into the concrete retaining wall. That was in 1966. The building was dedicated to God on July 1, 1967, as a centennial project celebrating Canada’s 100th birthday. The emblem of the maple leaf is chiseled into the granite cornerstone. To make me as strong as I can be, I believe that, like the steel rods, God has put the steel of His strength up and down my backbone. David, in Psalm 16:8, wrote, “I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.” Amen!

Yours for an unshakable, absolutely solid confidence in the eternal Son of God and Son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ!

David

P.S. I was moved as I watched my son Ron’s “Flashback” segment yesterday on 100 Huntley Street. It was a powerful testimony from 1998 of a First Nations man from northern Ontario…much further north than Sudbury! You can watch it HERE.

14 thoughts on “Wednesday, April 8, 2015”

  1. That is exactly what I needed to hear this morning, David: God has put the steel of His strength up and down my backbone. “I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.” Amen, indeed!! Thank you, God, for being my strength. You fortify me! Blessings, dear saints!

    The Lord is my Strength, Dennis Jernigan
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0iBeEThSFA

    Hallelujah!!

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  2. You are great, O Lord God.[c] For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

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  3. http://youtu.be/Ucci_QQLWKg
    Mahalia Jackson: The Lord is my light and my salcation, Psalm 27.

    Prayer: One thing I ask from the Lord and THAT I shall seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in His temple, for in the day of trouble He will hide me in his dwellings, in the secret places of His tabernacle will He hide me!

    You have made me your temple and put your Spirit in me and made it the Holy of Holies. To walk in Your presence all day is more than anything I could ever ask for and THAT I shall seek!

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  5. When I saw Reynold’s picture of the Nazereth synagogue replica today it reminded me of Bill O’Relly’s book “Killing Jesus”.
    I was surprised when he mentioned on page 129 wooden benches in synogogue? Not a big point but he does call his book “A History” and accuracy would be an asset I believe.
    I wonder also whether Mr O’Relly ever responded to your open letter you shared with us a few days ago?
    Shalom,
    Graham.
    2012 Holy Land yellow Bus.
    PS I recommend the book highly and will soon finish reading it (God willing).

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  7. So great to know now when Jesus came to earth for us. Reading thru the Bible was very confusing to me w/o a teacher. I never knew where Jesus fitted in in the stories unless it was the actual story.
    How touching yesterday’s flashback of the Northern Ontario gentleman’s coming to the Cross was. Sooooo many young men need to be hit with the holy spirit;instead they join radical groups and realize too late that that wasn’t the answer either. If we would only get to young people before they put themselves through torturous times.
    It was uplifting to watch Norma Jean’s video yesterday. Sent it out to many of my friends and relatives who enjoyed it also. Thank you Rev. M. et al.
    Blessings fellow saints.

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    • This was written by Dr. Jim Denison of the Denison Forum:
      So I came to believe that there was something wrong with my faith. Then I was given C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity. For the first time, I met someone who dealt with faith intellectually. Someone who was willing to ask hard questions. Through Lewis I learned that God wants me to love him with all my mind (Matthew 22:37). I remembered Jesus’ cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46), and realized that if Jesus could have doubts, so could I.

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  9. Yes PRAISE GOD, THE FOREVER KING HAS ARRIVED!!!

    A drivers Road test is being arranged for me within the next week…it seems the privilege of me to drive my car is at risk… Please pray that the Lord intervene and that my mind and actions would be at peace and alert in and through it.

    My driver’s license is valid until March of 2016.

    Reply ↓

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