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Today is Sunday May 23, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Chronicles, chapters 7-9. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-may-23
Title: Bible Study: A Strong Foundation
A foundation is the natural or prepared ground or base on which a structure rests, without a good foundation no matter how strong the structure is it will tumble at the slightest distress. Since we are God's Temple, Jesus Christ is the foundation that it needs to rest upon, without Him our strength is no match for Satan who will stop at nothing to get us to tumble. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” - I Corinthians 3:11.
King Solomon is credited for having said some of the longest prayers and offering the biggest number of sacrifices in all the Bible. “Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD's house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD. And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.” - II Chronicles 7:1-5. God loves to hear us pray, the bigger the prayer, the more He rejoices. Why? Because we are saying to God, I need your help, I have tried it on my own, but I can not do this alone. I am depending on You to give me the things I need and desire. When we humbly submit ourselves to God, seek forgiveness, praise Him, and thank Him through even the most difficult circumstances, He shines through us and gladly receives our prayers. The more we are dependent on God the stronger our foundation gets, the stronger our foundation gets the more our structure can survive Satan's storms.
Now, once we go before God in prayer and repentance we are making a covenant with God, an agreement, in that agreement we are saying, Lord, I will obey and follow Your commands and in return You will grant me the things I am asking You for. After Solomon's huge prayer and sacrifice, God came to him in another dream and reminded him of the covenant between the two of them. “And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments; Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel. But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.” - II Chronicles 7:12-20. God is telling Solomon, I hear your prayer, if you want to be forgiven, be blessed, and receive the things you ask, follow my commands, turn not away from me, if you turn away from me you will suffer and so will the people. God wants to give us things, but we must give ourselves wholeheartedly to Him. We can pray all day long, but unless we seek His face, turn from all wickedness, and humbly and sincerely seek His forgiveness He will not hear us. To seek His face means to seek Him in His Word so we may know what life is all about. As we read His Word, the Holy Spirit not only enlightens our understanding of how to follow His commands, but He empowers us obey them and eliminate any hidden sin or wickedness in our lives.
Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are no longer strangers to God, we are a part of the House of God and built upon His foundation. “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” - Ephesians 2:19-22. Since we are now built on a strong foundation, each circumstance, each trial, and each chastisement helps us to be holy Temples that God does not turn away from His sight and is eager to bless us with the things we ask for, even the things we desire. Jesus Said, “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” - Mark 11:24. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and the Lord's day.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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