TODAY’S MANNA WEDNESDAY, 18-05-16. TOPIC: CLEANSING THE TEMPLE

TODAY’S MANNA 

WEDNESDAY, 18-05-16

TOPIC: CLEANSING THE TEMPLE

TEXT: 2 CHRONICLES 29:1-11

I) THE KEY VERSE: 

“And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place” 

(2 Chronicles 29:5).

2) THE TEXT:

(2 CHRONICLES 29: I – II KJV)

“29:1 Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.

29:2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.

29:3 He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them.

29:4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,

29:5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.

29:6 For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs.

29:7 Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.

29:8 Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.

29:9 For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.

29:10 Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.

29:11 My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.”

3) THE MESSAGE:

i) A soap manufacturer, who was an unbeliever, walked along the road one day with a preacher of the gospel. 

ii) The soap manufacturer said, ‘The gospel you preach has not done much good, for there is still a lot of wickedness in the world and a lot of wicked people too.’ 

iii) The preacher made no reply until they passed a dirty little child, making mud pies in the gutter. Seizing his opportunity, the preacher said: ‘Soap has not done much good in the world, I see; for there is still much dirt and many dirty people about.’ 

iv) `Oh, well,’ said the manufacturer, ‘soap is only useful when it is applied.’ `Exactly!’ said the preacher, ‘so it is with the gospel. 

v) In today’s passage, Hezekiah began his reign in Jerusalem and from the very first month began to undertake his programme of purifying the temple. 

vi) He urged the priests and Levites to purify themselves and go into the house of the Lord to remove the filthiness placed there by preceding kings who had embraced idolatry. 

vii) Homosexualism, worldliness, idolatry, cultism and the likes are unbecoming of the house of God. 

viii) Believers are the temple of God and they must get rid of all the dirt in their lifestyle and heart. 

ix) The power of the gospel of Christ cleanses from all inward and outward sins. 

x) Therefore, let us cry unto God for cleansing after we have cleansed ourselves so that His temple (our body and His Church) can be the hallowed place it ought to be.

4) THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: 

Cleansing of our hearts is the best way to kick-start a revival.

5) BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: 

PSALM 3-4; 

12-13; 

28; 

55

Good morning