The Advocate to Be With You Forever!!!
Reflection: Today again we see the radical juxtaposition of the temple where God would dwell and the power of His presence would lead the Israelites. God’s promise to David was there would never be someone on the throne. But the problem was earthly leaders fall and soon the temple would be overrun due to the Israelites serving and running after other gods.
But in the Gospel, we see of another way God would dwell with and in His people. In John 14 we see the promise of the Holy Spirit who would be with the believers forever and would dwell within them. As the Holy Spirit lives within each believer He would lead and guide them and for our part as we obey God and abide in Him we stay inexorably connected to Him. John 15 will give us a famous passage in which he describes how we can abide in Him and He in us. Again obedience will be our part as we listen and obey the Holy Spirit’s voice.
The body of Christ becomes the temple of God and God dwells in the midst of believers. As believers gather in Jesus’ name and in the power of the Holy Spirit God’s glory in present. We can worship God anywhere any time and even with two or three gathered He is there in a powerful way. But the more believers that gather the red hot fire center of the Holy Spirit burns brightly and when unbelievers come they can be touched by the love of Christ, the love of the body of Christ and the Word being proclaimed, sung and received in the Sacrament.
Does your worship service and/or gathering reflect this kind of vitality and potency? When we read through Acts we see powerful demonstrations of the Spirit’s power through miracles, healings and all kinds of signs and wonders. I believe God is calling us back to these kind of Spirit powered gatherings today as God re-energizes and renews His bride, the Church!
Psalm 124
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
3 they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
4 the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
5 the raging waters
would have swept us away.
6 Praise be to the Lord,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
1 Kings 8:17-53
17 “My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name. 19 Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’ 20 “The Lord has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21 I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven 23 and said: “Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 24 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today. 25 “Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me faithfully as you have done.’ 26 And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true.
27 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 28 Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 29 May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.
John 14:15-24
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” 22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
My tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all day long. Psalm 35:28
If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. James 1:26
Lord, as we sing your praises, we know our silent actions, done for you, speak so much louder than our words. Help us walk humbly as we carry out your work, bringing glory not to us or our church brand, but to you. Amen.
But in the Gospel, we see of another way God would dwell with and in His people. In John 14 we see the promise of the Holy Spirit who would be with the believers forever and would dwell within them. As the Holy Spirit lives within each believer He would lead and guide them and for our part as we obey God and abide in Him we stay inexorably connected to Him. John 15 will give us a famous passage in which he describes how we can abide in Him and He in us. Again obedience will be our part as we listen and obey the Holy Spirit’s voice.
The body of Christ becomes the temple of God and God dwells in the midst of believers. As believers gather in Jesus’ name and in the power of the Holy Spirit God’s glory in present. We can worship God anywhere any time and even with two or three gathered He is there in a powerful way. But the more believers that gather the red hot fire center of the Holy Spirit burns brightly and when unbelievers come they can be touched by the love of Christ, the love of the body of Christ and the Word being proclaimed, sung and received in the Sacrament.
Does your worship service and/or gathering reflect this kind of vitality and potency? When we read through Acts we see powerful demonstrations of the Spirit’s power through miracles, healings and all kinds of signs and wonders. I believe God is calling us back to these kind of Spirit powered gatherings today as God re-energizes and renews His bride, the Church!
Psalm 124
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
3 they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
4 the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
5 the raging waters
would have swept us away.
6 Praise be to the Lord,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
1 Kings 8:17-53
17 “My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name. 19 Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’ 20 “The Lord has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21 I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven 23 and said: “Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 24 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today. 25 “Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me faithfully as you have done.’ 26 And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true.
27 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 28 Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 29 May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.
John 14:15-24
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” 22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
My tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all day long. Psalm 35:28
If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. James 1:26
Lord, as we sing your praises, we know our silent actions, done for you, speak so much louder than our words. Help us walk humbly as we carry out your work, bringing glory not to us or our church brand, but to you. Amen.
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