"The Temple of the Lord!"

“Behold, you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known, then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’ — that you may do all these abominations? “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the LORD (Jeremiah 7:8-11).

These words are part of what some refer to as Jeremiah’s “temple sermon.” The prophet is called by God to go to the gate of the temple and preach to those who were entering to worship (Jeremiah 7:1-2). Somehow the temple and the rituals associated with it had come to be viewed as a “magical rabbit's foot” among the people of Judah. They had been deceived into putting their trust in the words of a mantra: “The temple of the Lord. The temple of the Lord. The temple of the Lord” (Jeremiah 7:4). And yet, away from the temple, they were living lives of ungodliness. As the text above reveals, they were stealing, murdering, committing adultery, swearing falsely, and practicing idolatry. But as long as they showed up at the temple and went through the rituals, they thought they were safe from the consequences of their sinfulness. Maybe they reasoned that God didn’t see or care what they did away from “church.” But they were wrong. As God says in vs. 11: “Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the Lord.

Some today still seem to think that as long as you show up at church, participate in the right rituals, and believe the right doctrine, it doesn’t matter how you live during the rest of the week. But don’t believe it. It still doesn’t work to pretend to be a saint on Sunday and live like the devil from Monday through Saturday. We may fool each other but we aren’t fooling God.

God loves you!

Mike

A Mother's Love

“During pregnancy, something incredible happens inside a mother’s body. Tiny fetal cells slip across the placenta and quietly take root in her bloodstream. They don’t stop there — they travel further, settling in her heart, her skin, even her brain. Scientists call this fetomaternal microchimerism — a hidden biological bond where cells pass both ways: from mother to child, and child back to mother. The most astonishing part? These cells can remain for decades. A child leaves a microscopic trace of themselves in their mother’s body long after birth — a secret thread of connection that never fully disappears. Researchers are still uncovering what these cells do. Some evidence suggests they may help with repair or immune function, while other findings show the story is more complex. But one thing is certain: they are proof of a bond that goes beyond touch, beyond time” (Weird Wonders And Facts, FaceBook.com).

This incredible bond between mother and child that scientists find fascinating should be no surprise to those who read the Bible. God, Who designed pregnancy and birth, speaks of this special relationship. Sure, He doesn’t use fancy scientific jargon but the idea is there nonetheless. Often, when children are really upset, it is only the mother who can comfort them. Perhaps that is why God uses that picture to describe His own desire to comfort His children. “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted in Jerusalem” (Isaiah 66:13). As the apostle Paul describes his love and care for the Thessalonian church, he also uses the mother\child metaphor. “But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children” (1 Thessalonians 2:7). Notice how God describes His compassion for His people: “Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15).

Nothing compares to the love between a mother and her children! But God’s love is even greater!

God loves you!

Mike

The Secret

“There once was a man and a woman who had been married for more than 60 years. They talked about everything. They kept no secrets from each other... except that the old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she cautioned her husband never to open it or ask her about it.

“For all those years he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would never recover. In trying to sort out their affairs the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed it was time that he should know what was in the box.

“When he opened it he found 2 beautifully crocheted doilies and a stack of money totaling over $25,000. He asked her about the unusual contents. "When we were married," she said, " my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doily."

“The little old man was so moved, he had to fight back tears. Only two precious doilies were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with joy and happiness. "Sweetheart," he said... "that explains the doilies, but what about all this money? Where did it all come from?" “Oh," she said, " that's the money I made from selling the doilies”” (borrowed).

The real secret to a happy marriage is to build it on godly love. “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

God loves you!

Mike