From: "Phil Rembleski" <PHIl@rescuechurchofchrist.org>

To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"

Cc:

Sent: Mon, Mar 13, 2023 at 6:07 AM

Subject: 3-13-23 THOUGHTS

3-13-23   THOUGHTS

The place of the Temple of Jerusalem is an interesting story.  Of the threshing floor of Araunah, Barnes says “Which was in mount Moriah, where Abraham was ready to have offered his son Isaac, and where afterwards stood the temple. {#2Ch 3:1 }” I don’t understand why so many unique things happened at this particular place, but I’m pretty sure God knows.  He made it special for His own purposes.  Messiah projected?   It is surely thought provoking.  In yesterday morning’s sermon, T-Bone worked on the idea of FIRST FRUITS. David adds a dimension to that idea as he says “I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing.”   I must consider my whole life here!  Am I offering from my best, my first, or do I kinda give what’s handy when I think it’s giving time?  The “I’ll go buy it at Walmart” metaphor is the equivalent of what was going on when Jesus overturned tables and drove the money changers out of the Temple.  The Jew was simply buying a sacrifice on his way in!  In truth, NO COST!  NO FIRST IDEA!  NO BEST NOTION!    Just how am I living?  In my thinking, this may be the most significant problem of our age. The cause in my mind is simple SELF-CENTEREDNESS.  May we each humbly consider.

2Sam 24:18-25      So Gad came to David that day and said to him, "Go up, erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." 19  David went up according to the word of Gad, just as the LORD had commanded. 20  Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants crossing over toward him; and Araunah went out and bowed his face to the ground before the king. 21  Then Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" And David said, "To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be held back from the people." 22  Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up what is good in his sight. Look, the oxen for the burnt offering, the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. 23  "Everything, O king, Araunah gives to the king." And Araunah said to the king, "May the LORD your God accept you." 24  However, the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25  David built there an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Thus the LORD was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel.

My Prayer:
Our Father of heaven and all creation, hallowed be your name.  You have given all, and we have received.  Our sin is gone in Christ Jesus, life and hope are eternally ours. Please help us to avoid the cheapening of our return to You.  Help us to put to death the flesh and its desires, and teach us to bear the first fruits!  May we cease our wanderings, and focus our steps in your way.  Cause us to know true fellowship and the encouragement to good works that comes from it.  Help us, O Lord,  to be the Church you envisioned as you set it up, and bought it with the blood of your dear Son.  

In the name of Jesus the Messiah,        Amen.