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As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. Then he asked them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’ When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, “I am the Messiah!” and they will lead many astray (Matthew 24:1-5)
Good day, dear friend, today is Tuesday of Holy Week. I pray it is a blessed day for you and those around you. This was a powerful day in Jesus' week. He shared some strong parables on what was coming next which we can find in chapter 22 and 23 of Matthew. The first was the parable of the wedding feast given by a king to which no one responded. Jesus shared the truth about paying taxes with His famous, "Whose image is on this coin? Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God, the things that are God's. Then, interestingly enough a question on resurrection (Jesus believes in it! So should we!); then the sharing of the great commandment: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind... And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."
Then Jesus shocked the disciples with their view of the Temple. They were very impressed with what they saw, but Jesus foretold a reality that would soon come, "Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down." The disciples wanted to know when, Jesus just tells them to be ready.
It was not that long ago, we walked by what's left of the temple, and truth be told, the stones laying beside it fulfilled Jesus' prophecy. Huge, massive, impressive stones, but not one upon the other; destroyed by the enemies of Israel and which have suffered the ravages of time. In reality, this changed nothing. Buildings will come and buildings will go; what happens in those buildings dedicated to God is more important than brick and mortar, or wood and beams. The worship of God will continue; first in hearts and homes, and then the hearts and homes of those we reach for the Lord. Nothing, except our own selves, can stop the progress of the work of God. The Church has moved ever forward, though not in a direct or straight line, but it still continues to reach those whom it can, changing and transforming lives for the glory of God. Megachurches today may become the home churches of tomorrow; and vice versa. Seek to build up the kingdom of God, and God will take care of the rest.
PRAYER: Loving Father, as we make our way through Holy Week, continue to speak to and through us. Help us be open to what is next; more importantly, make us be that which brings about the growth and future of what is next. Bless and protect us; let us seek You daily. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! You can marvel at buildings, but let God marvel at what we can do within and without those buildings in our lives, our homes, our work, and our places of worship!
Eradio Valverde
PRAYER UPDATE AND REQUEST: Dear friends, many of you were praying for our sister Mrs. Dorothy V. McGinty, and I learned Sunday that she entered into Glory the last week we were in Israel. She died peacefully and graciously. One of the last requests from our church was to have a copy of the book "Heaven" which she started studying. Now she's blessed in walking those streets and seeing first hand that which days earlier she only read about. Please keep her husband, Kenneth R. McGinty in your prayers during these difficult days. May the Lord comfort him and grant him strength and peace. Pray for one another as well! Make plans to be in worship as often as you can during this week; Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and certainly Easter Sunday!
