09-06-2007, 01:09 PM
Good afternoon all ...
May Jehovah and his Son be with us all throughout this beautiful day! :D
Scriptural text for today is from Zech. 4:6 ...
''Not by a military force, nor by power, but by my spirit.'' Jehovah of armies has said.''
Watchtower comments ...
''When the Jews returned to their homeland in 537 B.C.E., they had no military force. Nonetheless, Jehovah protected them and guided them on the trip from Babylon. And his spirit was directing matters when they started the work on the temple shortly thereafter. Once they began to work wholeheartedly again, he would back them by means of his holy spirit. Through a series of eight visions, Zechariah was assured that Jehovah would be with his people, who would faithfully carry the temple work to a finish. Satan would certainly not be pleased to see High Priest Joshua perform services in behalf of the people at the new temple. Although the Devil was active in hindering the progress, Jehovah's spirit would play a major role in removing obstacles and energizing the Jews to move ahead until the temple was completed.'' w/4/15/06 16,18,19
My comments ...:happyheart:
In the Watchtower's comments today it speaks about Satan hindering the process of the temple being completed ... and I have no doubt he did so with the knowing or unknowing help of those who were in opposition to true worship being restored at that time ...
But what about today ...? Is Satan continuing to interfere with any 'building' process of a 'temple' today ...? :devil:
IMHO I would not hesitate to say ... he sure is ... :(
However, WHAT 'temple' would he be seeking to undermine in building ...? It cannot be the temple in Jerusalem can it since Jehovah 'divorced' his people and is now working in a new way with regards ALL mankind and not just the Jewish people ... :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:
1Cor. 6:15-20 ...
15 Do YOU not know that YOUR bodies are members of Christ? Shall I, then, take the members of the Christ away and make them members of a harlot? Never may that happen! 16 What! Do YOU not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? For, “The two,†says he, “will be one flesh.†17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee from fornication. Every other sin that a man may commit is outside his body, but he that practices fornication is sinning against his own body. 19 What! Do YOU not know that the body of YOU people is [the] temple of the holy spirit within YOU, which YOU have from God? Also, YOU do not belong to yourselves, 20 for YOU were bought with a price. By all means, glorify God in the body of YOU people.
Sooooooooooooo ... :huh:
If our 'bodies' are our 'temple' ... then the 'building' process is us making ourselves into worshippers of God is it not ... true Christians ... true servants of the living God ...?
And indeed, Satan would WANT to intefere in this beautiful process ... the putting away of the 'fleshly things' and seeking to put on 'spiritual things' ... (works of the flesh vs. fruits of the spirit)
He seeks to do this in many ways ...
Misleading people away from God and Christ through false religious teachings ...
Making people think they are not worthy of God ... that they are just too sinful to ever be made clean ...
Putting temptations in our way that appeal to our sinful fleshly tendencies ... materialism and immorality for example ...
Causing us to perhaps be ashamed of wanting to do what is right ... making fun of those who perhaps 'do not walk as the world walks' ... and seeks to tempt them to just try a little taste ... hoping we will perhaps become 'addicted' to a lifestyle that would take us away from our God instead of closer to it ...
Persecuting those who stand for truth and love of God can also be a way Satan tries to get us to 'tire out' ... to 'give up' in 'doing what is fine' ...
And sometimes just life in itself ... with all his problems ... could cause us to tire out as we are just soooo busy at times just seeking to eke out a living for ourselves and our family ...
However, we have a SOURCE OF STRENGTH that can help us through ALL of the above and more ...
:cheer: JEHOVAH'S HOLY SPIRIT!! :cheer:
This spirit from God empowers us and comforts us and teaches us what we need to know and gives us the strength to act upon what we learn!!
Let us never underestimate this GIFT that comes from God and that Christ Jesus promised his followers they would have to help them survive firm to the end in their worship of his heavenly Father!! :present:
So, ask for it ... beg for it ... for when we do we WILL receive it ... !! :thumbsup:
Well, just some jumbled up thoughts for today ... :funnyface:
Luv to all as always ... BR :sheepy: :bouncyhearts:
May Jehovah and his Son be with us all throughout this beautiful day! :D
Scriptural text for today is from Zech. 4:6 ...
''Not by a military force, nor by power, but by my spirit.'' Jehovah of armies has said.''
Watchtower comments ...
''When the Jews returned to their homeland in 537 B.C.E., they had no military force. Nonetheless, Jehovah protected them and guided them on the trip from Babylon. And his spirit was directing matters when they started the work on the temple shortly thereafter. Once they began to work wholeheartedly again, he would back them by means of his holy spirit. Through a series of eight visions, Zechariah was assured that Jehovah would be with his people, who would faithfully carry the temple work to a finish. Satan would certainly not be pleased to see High Priest Joshua perform services in behalf of the people at the new temple. Although the Devil was active in hindering the progress, Jehovah's spirit would play a major role in removing obstacles and energizing the Jews to move ahead until the temple was completed.'' w/4/15/06 16,18,19
My comments ...:happyheart:
In the Watchtower's comments today it speaks about Satan hindering the process of the temple being completed ... and I have no doubt he did so with the knowing or unknowing help of those who were in opposition to true worship being restored at that time ...
But what about today ...? Is Satan continuing to interfere with any 'building' process of a 'temple' today ...? :devil:
IMHO I would not hesitate to say ... he sure is ... :(
However, WHAT 'temple' would he be seeking to undermine in building ...? It cannot be the temple in Jerusalem can it since Jehovah 'divorced' his people and is now working in a new way with regards ALL mankind and not just the Jewish people ... :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:
1Cor. 6:15-20 ...
15 Do YOU not know that YOUR bodies are members of Christ? Shall I, then, take the members of the Christ away and make them members of a harlot? Never may that happen! 16 What! Do YOU not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? For, “The two,†says he, “will be one flesh.†17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee from fornication. Every other sin that a man may commit is outside his body, but he that practices fornication is sinning against his own body. 19 What! Do YOU not know that the body of YOU people is [the] temple of the holy spirit within YOU, which YOU have from God? Also, YOU do not belong to yourselves, 20 for YOU were bought with a price. By all means, glorify God in the body of YOU people.
Sooooooooooooo ... :huh:
If our 'bodies' are our 'temple' ... then the 'building' process is us making ourselves into worshippers of God is it not ... true Christians ... true servants of the living God ...?
And indeed, Satan would WANT to intefere in this beautiful process ... the putting away of the 'fleshly things' and seeking to put on 'spiritual things' ... (works of the flesh vs. fruits of the spirit)
He seeks to do this in many ways ...
Misleading people away from God and Christ through false religious teachings ...
Making people think they are not worthy of God ... that they are just too sinful to ever be made clean ...
Putting temptations in our way that appeal to our sinful fleshly tendencies ... materialism and immorality for example ...
Causing us to perhaps be ashamed of wanting to do what is right ... making fun of those who perhaps 'do not walk as the world walks' ... and seeks to tempt them to just try a little taste ... hoping we will perhaps become 'addicted' to a lifestyle that would take us away from our God instead of closer to it ...
Persecuting those who stand for truth and love of God can also be a way Satan tries to get us to 'tire out' ... to 'give up' in 'doing what is fine' ...
And sometimes just life in itself ... with all his problems ... could cause us to tire out as we are just soooo busy at times just seeking to eke out a living for ourselves and our family ...
However, we have a SOURCE OF STRENGTH that can help us through ALL of the above and more ...
:cheer: JEHOVAH'S HOLY SPIRIT!! :cheer:
This spirit from God empowers us and comforts us and teaches us what we need to know and gives us the strength to act upon what we learn!!
Let us never underestimate this GIFT that comes from God and that Christ Jesus promised his followers they would have to help them survive firm to the end in their worship of his heavenly Father!! :present:
So, ask for it ... beg for it ... for when we do we WILL receive it ... !! :thumbsup:
Well, just some jumbled up thoughts for today ... :funnyface:
Luv to all as always ... BR :sheepy: :bouncyhearts: