I CORINTHIANS 3:16

    

         "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's spirit lives in you?" (NIV)

I remember hearing this verse quoted when I was a teenager.\;  it was often used in reference to not smoking, not doing drugs, not drinking alcohol; and, rightly so. Later in life I remember that it became a popular reference for Christian-based weight loss programs.  Also appropriate.  This scripture is also used in prayers of confession for twelve-step programs for various substance abuse problems.  We humans have a lot of problems putting bad stuff (or too much good stuff) in our bodies... Remember Grandma saying, "You are what you eat."?  Scientists have proven that if your diet consists of lots of fatty meats, deep-fried foods, and high-sugar treats, then you are probably going to be overweight. Our bodies belong to God.  We are caretakers of these wonderfully-made vessels which contain our souls.  God wants us to take care of our physical selves so as to give our souls the chance to survive and thrive and grow in knowledge and grace.  We are not a physical beings trying to live in a spiritual world; we are spiritual beings trying to live in a physical world.


But, have you ever thought about your MIND being the temple of God?  Since we are what we eat, it stands to reason that our minds also become what we feed them.  What do you feed your mind? If your personal entertainment consists of movies, music, TV, or magazines filled with violence or sexual immorality or vulgar language, your thoughts and actions will reflect that input.  If the doctor could draw our blood and test it for human degradation,  many of us would have some very bad  lab results!  Of course, deep down, you already knew that, didn't you? Ask God to help you find your way back to Him. He is there. So gentle. So kind.

The Apostle Paul wrote I Corinthians.  In fact, he wrote a lot of the New Testament/Renewed Covenant.  In the book of Philippians, Paul wrote:  "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or receiver or heard from me, or seen in me, put into practice and the God of peace will be with you."  (Philippians 4: 8 & 9  NIV)

There is yet another way in which the body is the temple of God.  We, who have accepted Christ Jesus as our personal Savior are the Body of Christ.  We ARE the temple! We, then, are instructed to take care of the temple... take care of each other.  Jesus tried to explain this when He said,  "Love your neighbor as yourself". (Matthew 22:39).  It is our responsibility and privilege to appreciate each others' differences within the church.  We don't have to agree on everything to love each other.  The world is watching, waiting to see us react in an ungodly way.  Sadly, we often do so... No wonder non-believers are not impressed with "Christianity"!    As Gandhi said, " I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians."

So, let us take the challenge to be God's Temple.  To react to situations in a Christ-like manner.  With love, patience, and humility. God's Temple. Where His Spirit dwells. The Temple is sacred. And, we are that Temple.

Acts 3:16

     "By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong.  It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through Hi, that has given this complete healing to him, as you can see."   (NIV)

     At the time of this occurrence, Jesus had been crucified, died, and had risen again.  And now the apostles were preaching the gospel and performing miracles in His name through the power of the Holy Spirit.

     Peter and John were on their way to Temple for afternoon prayer when they saw a beggar who had been crippled since birth. The beggar asked them for money; but, Peter replied, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, walk." (Acts 3:6).  Then Peter held the beggar's right hand and helped him to stand. The mans feet and legs became strong.  He stood... walked...ran!  Jumped for joy!  And praised God.
  

 Since it was customary for everyone to go to Temple for afternoon prayers, there was a large crowd of people who witnessed this miracle of healing. Peter spoke to the crowd, giving all the praise and glory to God. He seized the opportunity to explain that Jesus was the Messiah foretold by the prophets, that He had been unrecognized by many of His own people, had been crucified and resurrected.  Now that He had risen and visited upon the apostles, Peter and the other apostles were able to heal in His name and power!
     There are a few things we can learn from this incident which occurred a couple thousand years ago:



#1: The Torah had not been abolished after Christ's death and resurrection.  The apostles and the rest of the crowd were going to Temple for afternoon prayer, as always. These people were still going to Temple, eating "Kosher", and following the Torah.
#2: Peter could have ignored the beggar when he asked for money.  It would have been easy to simply walk on by, especially since Peter didn't have any money... Nothing to offer... No sense in getting involved... Not so when the Holy Spirit is walking with you!


#3: The beggar asked for money - that's what he WANTED.  God gave him a miraculous healing - THAT was what he NEEDED. Sometimes we need to recognize the difference between what we want and what we truly need.  Ask God for wisdom and discernment. And, don't put God in a people-sized box!  He can do so much more than give us a coin with which to buy a crust of bread!
#4: Both Peter and the beggar gave praise to God for the healing.  How easy it would have been to accept even a small part of the credit!  But Peter knew and acknowledged that all the honor and glory belonged to the Lord.

Do you give the Lord your thanks and praise every day?  Do you praise Him when things are going well?  How 'bout when things are just so-so?  Aren't you still protected and out of harms way?  Praise God from Whom  ALL blessings flow!

ZECHARIAH

     This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.  They will call on my name and I will answer them: I will say, "they are my people", and they will say, "The Lord is our God."
                                                                                               Zechariah 13:9   NIV)

  

Zechariah by Michaelangelo

      The book of Zechariah has so "3:16".  The awesome verse quoted above refers to purification.  Refining.  As in strengthening as well as beautification of precious metal by placing them in the fire...
     The prophet Zechariah wrote this book of fourteen chapters to encourage his people to put off their sinful ways, and to accept refining and purification through the observance/obedience of God's law.  Zechariah foretold of the coming Messiah and of the coming of a renewed covenant through the Messiah.  He urged the "faithful remnant, which was approximately one-third of the Jews, to remain pure and obedient.  He encouraged this remnant to continue building God's temple - because this was God's plan.
     As is often (probably always!) the case, Zechariah's prophecy was for his time AND for the future. Zechariah also foretold of Christ's second coming.  The second coming will occur after the temple is rebuilt once again. We today need that same refining and purification that Zechariah wrote about thousands of years ago. Purification and obedience are still God's plan.  Why is it that we want so badly the rewards of salvation, yet balk at the purification process?
    


  
       When metal is refined in the fire, it comes out shinier, purer, and more precious with each step.  If you feel as if you've "been through the fire" lately, perhaps you are being refined.  You will come out stronger and more valuable every step of the way, until, finally, God will pull you out of the fire and you will be so pure that He will see Himself reflected in you.  This is His plan.
  

      God's  message to His people through Zechariah was "Trust me; I have a plan.  THE  PLAN.  Continue building the temple.  I need you to build the temple."  The great temple prophesied about for Israel has not yet been built.  But, there is another temple... And, where is that temple?  "Don't you know that you yourselves  are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him, for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple." (I Corinthians 3:16,17)  We should be encouraging one another - not criticizing.  We should be building - not tearing down.
 

     Two sure methods of destroying a building are to mess with the foundation and to make the building with inferior materials.  The Church must have Christ the Messiah as its foundation, and each member must be willing to go through the refining process so as to be the best he can be.   I heard a preacher say recently, "Jesus told us that we would be like sheep among wolves.  If there aren't any wolves in your life, maybe you're not really a sheep."  The wolves of life... stress, financial worries, sickness, strife... are part of the refining process. Work at coming out of the fire with a pure heart and a renewed spirit.
  

JEREMIAH 3:16

     "... in those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land", declares the Lord, "Men no longer will say, 'The ark of the covenant of the Lord.'   It will not be missed, nor will another one be made..."  (NIV)

Painting by Michelangelo, 1512

 The author of this book of the Bible is the prophet Jeremiah.  Jeremiah was known as "the weeping prophet", because his message was a very sober one, and people tended to disbelieve him.  His primary message was,  "Repent; turn away from sin and towards God; go back to Torah."  God sent His people another message through Jeremiah:  the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.
     Jeremiah was delivering these messages from God to Judah during the reigns of the last five kings. These were not good times spiritually.  If you will refer back to I Chronicles, it gives you a sense of the moral climate of Jeremiah's day.   People really don't like to hear scary messages like Jeremiah's.  And, because of the content of his messages, Jeremiah wasn't a popular person. Even so, he continued to deliver God's message for forty years .When it was obvious that destruction was inevitable, Jeremiah urged the leaders to submit to the Babylonians, to accept the punishment they deserved. In this way Jerusalem would be spared. Delivering such a message branded Jeremiah as a traitor. People did not listen to his warnings.
     Jeremiah wept.   But, Jeremiah did not weep for himself; he wept for the loss he knew was coming;  he wept for his people who refused to listen to God's word, and he wept for the destruction of the city and its temple.

courtesy Crystalinks Metaphysical and Science Website

You may recall that the beautiful temple in Jerusalem was built under the direction of Solomon.  Inside was the Ark of the Covenant, which was the sacred symbol of God's presence among His people. The Ark of the Covenant is described in the Bible as a sacred container, which held the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments as well as Aaron's rod and manna. The Ark was built per God's command, in accord with Moses' prophetic vision on Mount Sinai, and God communicated with Moses "from between the two cherubim" on the Ark's cover (Exodus 25:22).  The Biblical account relates that during the exodus of the Israelites, the Ark was carried by the priests. When the Ark was borne by priests into the  Jordan, the river was separated, opening a pathway for all the Israelites  to pass over (Josh. 3:15-16).  When carried, the Ark was always wrapped in a veil, in animal skins, and a blue cloth, and was carefully concealed, even from the eyes of the priests who carried it.
  

 But Jeremiah, through God, foresaw the day when God would be present among men through the Holy Spirit.  Much of the book of Jeremiah is about the Messiah.  The New Covenant would be a covenant of personal relationship with Messiah.  Today, we are living in that New  Covenant.  WE  ARE  LIVING  IN THAT  KINGDOM  WITH  GOD  AMONGST  US  THROUGH  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT!  The Ark of the Covenant was beautifully made of precious materials and with careful attention to every detail, as directed by the Lord.  But we have the New Covenant, which is Christ Jesus, whose beauty is unspeakable.









Jesus walks alongside me all the time.  If He is not walking with you, ask Him to.

NEHEMIAH 3:16

     "Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the house of the heroes."  (NIV)

     The book of Nehemiah was originally in the Hebrew scriptures as one book with the book of Ezra; both Ezra and Nehemiah were written by the priest Ezra.  Because of the very similar writing style, many scholars also believe that Ezra was the author of I and II Chronicles, and that the four books all belonged together.

Modern-day walls of Jerusalem

     Although Nehemiah was born and raised in Babylon, he was brought up with strict devotion to Jewish tradition and laws.  Nehemiah was the cup-bearer to the king of Persia - a job of responsibility and trust. The cupbearer tasted and served wine to the king.  Ancient kings had to be extremely cautious about what they ate and drank.  They used trusted servants such as Nehemiah to taste everything before they did; if the servant did not get sick, then the king and queen ate and drank.  Nehemiah held this highly trusted position under King Artaxerxes. While serving the Persian king, Nehemiah learned that Jerusalem remained in ruins after nearly a century and a half.  The temple had been rebuilt after seventy years, but the remainder of the city was in ruins;  thus, the temple overlooked broken walls and destroyed buildings.  Nehemiah was so distressed when he learned of the condition of the holy city that he went to the king and asked for funding to rebuild the city walls.  Nehemiah must have been in good graces with the king and/or very persuasive, because the king immediately agreed to help!

  So Nehemiah went to Jerusalem.  He had an absolutely inspired way that he convinced the people to rebuild the city walls.  He convinced each man and his family to work on the portion of the wall nearest their own home.  This created a greater enthusiasm and spirit of pride in workmanship,  It was also much more convenient that having people travel to do the work of rebuilding.  And, when the wall needed to be defended, each man was defending his own work.
     During the rebuilding process, the people of Jerusalem endured ridicule and raids from nearby Samaritans.  But they persisted and the city became a proud city once again. Miraculously, the wall was rebuilt in only fifty-two DAYS!!!  Nehemiah was a courageous and prayerful leader!  He remained in Jerusalem as Persian governor of the area for the next twelve years, teaching and leading the people in several important religious festivals which they had forgotten or abandoned over the years.
     The Bible describes Nehemiah as small of stature.  He may have been a small man, but he had a big idea and a big influence on the people of God.
     Isn't it interesting how God can take one little person and make a big difference?  Y'know, that one little person could be you...

II CHRONICLES 3:16

     "And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars; and made an hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains."   (NIV)

    King Solomon was called upon by God to build a great temple where God's people could worship, pray, and offer sacrifices.  Solomon received the instructions for the temple per an "oracle".  The definition for the Hebrew word, in which most of the Bible was written, is "utterance  from God".  All the details of the beautiful temple were from God.  As in the creation, every color, every item was directed by God. And, as in the creation, the temple was created in an orderly fashion and with indescribable beauty.
  

     Solomon traded with other countries to obtain the best resources, including some of the labor.  He hired a man - a master craftsman - named Huram (or Hiram) to create the artistic works of the temple... chains, pillars, pomegranates, cherubs, the altar, the vessels.  Everything was made of precious materials - gold, silver, rare fabrics, dyed with rare dyes.  The entire building was overlaid with gold on the inside... Truly, the most magnificent building ever created.
     This was a massive project.  Solomon hired 30,000 men to assist in the forests of Lebanon, 80,000 who quarried stone in the mountains, and 70,000 who carried the products from their origin to the temple site.  He had 3,300 men hires just to supervise the laborers.

  But, even more amazing is the temple that God created by creating mankind.  I Corinthians 3:16 (another 3:16!) states: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit if God dwelleth in you?" (KJV)
Even more than Solomon's temple is our body- our temple- a wonderful, beautiful, and detail-oriented creation.

Let us give thanks to The Creator.

I SAMUEL 3:16

          "But when Eli called him and said, 'Samuel, my son', Samuel answered, 'Here I am'."   (NIV)

Hannah bringing Samuel to Eli -  Artist George Tinswell

 
      Samuel was promised to the Lord by his mother before he was even born.  When he was weaned,  his mother brought him to the temple, where he was mentored by Eli, the high priest.  The young Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli.  Thus, from childhood he learned how to serve the Lord..  As was the custom, Samuel and Eli slept in small rooms outside the Holy Place.  In one room was Eli, and in another nearby room was Samuel, the apprentice to the priests.
     God needed to deliver an important message.  You or I would have probably chosen the priest to speak to, but God chose the child.  Eli was much older, but Samuel's faith was pure.  Eli possessed the title and social position, but Samuel had the willingness to say, "Here I am;  I am listening."
     Yes, Eli was a high priest.  But, he was also the father of two sons.  Two very immoral and blasphemous sons.  Eli's sons robbed and seduced people at the very entrance to the temple as they arrived to worship and to offer sacrifices for their sins.  When Eli was told of this matter, he spoke to his sons about it, but did not discipline them.  Furthermore, Eli failed to follow up on them and see if their behavior had changed.  It did not; they continued to blaspheme the temple and the Lord.  Eli put his sons' desires above the honor of God.  Thus, when God spoke to Samuel, the message was something like this:
     "I have warned Eli before that his sons have made themselves contemptible, but Eli failed to restrain them.  The guilt of Eli's house will never be forgotten by sacrifice or offering.."

Eli listening to Samuel  Artist: John Singleton Coply

  
          That morning when Samuel opened the doors of the house of the Lord, he was afraid to tell Eli what the fearful message was.  But Eli insisted, and Samuel finally told him in full.  Eli  realized his wrongdoing, and said, "He is the Lord; let Him do what is good in his eyes."  Eli had spent his entire life serving God, but he had neglected his family duties.  Now the :Lord planned to discipline Eli and his sons.  The fearful message  God gave to Samuel was that Eli and his sons would die... on the same day.
     At a later date Eli's two sons were killed in battle - on the same day, as foretold by Samuel in his vision.  When Eli was told of his sons' deaths, he fell backwards and broke his neck, further fulfilling the prophecy.  What an inglorious ending to a long career of service! Whatever Eli's intentions may have been at the beginning of his priesthood, his lasting reputation was that of one who ignored God's word.
      But Samuel grew in stature with the word of God.
      Sadly, we can probably all recall instances of clergy  within our lifetimes who have met inglorious ends to their careers as well.  It is always a grievous thing to have turned one's back on God after committing one's life to His service.

     Are you an Eli?  Or a Samuel?