God Is Not In A Building
2009-09-05

Ugh! Can't sleep, so I'll do a devotional.


Here's a prayer request from the PPT site.

Hugo Chavez Criticizes Israel. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez attacked Israel Thursday during his visit to Syria, calling it an imperialist nation that annihilates other people. Chavez comments came during a news conference with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad after a one-hour meeting at the hilltop presidential palace. "Israel has become a country that annihilates people and is hostile to peace," he said, according to the Arabic translation of his remarks to reporters. "The entire world knows it. Why was the state of Israel created? ... To divide. To impede the unity of the Arab world. To assure the presence of the North American empire in all these lands," he said. Pray for the protection of Israel and for a foreign policy to manage increasing instability.

Interesting.



Psalm for today: 99

1-3 God rules. On your toes, everybody! He rules from his angel throne�take notice!
God looms majestic in Zion,
He towers in splendor over all the big names.
Great and terrible your beauty: let everyone praise you!
Holy. Yes, holy.

4-5 Strong King, lover of justice,
You laid things out fair and square;
You set down the foundations in Jacob,
Foundation stones of just and right ways.
Honor God, our God; worship his rule!
Holy. Yes, holy.

6-9 Moses and Aaron were his priests,
Samuel among those who prayed to him.
They prayed to God and he answered them;
He spoke from the pillar of cloud.
And they did what he said; they kept the law he gave them.
And then God, our God, answered them
(But you were never soft on their sins).
Lift high God, our God; worship at his holy mountain.
Holy. Yes, holy is God our God.
(The Message)

"Now that the shadowy dispensation has passed away, God cannot otherwise be properly worshipped, than when we come to him directly through Christ, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells. It were improper and absurd for any one to designate him a footstool. For the prophet merely spoke in this manner to show that God was not confined to the visible temple, but that he is to be sought for above all heavens, inasmuch as he is elevated above the whole world."

(Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms)



Tabletalk Magazine

"Guarding the Deposit"
1 Timothy 6:20-21

20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called �knowledge,� 21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.

Grace be with you. (ESV)

Regarding the word "deposit..." "In the original Greek, the construction was used of the solemn obligation of having been entrusted with another person's possession with the responsibility to keep it safe and return it to the owner in the same condition in which it was received." This conveys the meaning that the deposit of truth is on loan to the Church, who has the responsibility of returning it to the Lord, unchanged, at the last day.

While we never intend to offend anyone on purpose. However, "if what is called the gospel (not the messenger) never offends, it is not the true gospel." If we water down the gospel so that it is "inoffensive" to everyone, it is no longer the gospel. And this "watered down gospel" is powerless to save anyone.



Holiness Day by Day

"A Prayer on A Basement Floor"
Romans 13:1

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (ESV)

The author speaks of a time when he was living a more legalistic type of "faith." As he became more aware of God's grace, he fell on his knees in a basement where he was spending part of a day with God. He prayed through the verse above, offering himself as a living sacrifice to God in a deeper way than he ever had before.

Words like this are difficult to explain and understand. What does "a deeper way" mean? Only the person saying those words to God can fully understand what they mean. I can, in a way, understand, as it is always my desire to "go deeper" with God. I'm not satisfied to remain on a surface level. I want to "dive in," head first, and swim to the deepest part of the ocean of God's grace.



Father, I truly do desire to dive in to your grace. This grace has become more and more alive to me over the past year or so. I thank you for leading me in that direction. Keep me headed that way. I don't want to forget about grace. I don't want to start living outside your grace.

I pray that your truth will remain untainted in the Church. Sadly, I fear that this is already impossible. There are too many "churches" that are teaching watered down versions of your truth. Lord, they are tickling the ears of their congregations in order to pack pews with people. This pads their bank accounts with money, which gives them the false impression that they are successful. Then there are other "churches" who are suffocating your truth with business. Father, help them see that the church is not a business. It is a living, breathing, organism. The Church is the Bride of Jesus Christ! Help me to love the Church the way Jesus does! Protect your Church from power-hunger, greed men who would undermine the authority of those you have placed as shepherd. Protect your Church from people who would worship men and compare men to you.

Father, my spirit is heavy. It is torn apart by sorrow for things that are happening. I pray for your intervention. But most of all, I pray for you to be glorified above all.



We must live in his grace. It is the only way.

Grace and peace, friends.



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