“Preparation is the separation between winning and losing” Russell Wilson. The preparation of the temple reminds us of the making of the tabernacle in the wilderness. A lot of detail is spelled out, and followed by Huram to ensure the Temple is built to exact specifications. There can be no variance. We see the two accounts, one in 1 Kings and one in 2 Chronicles, agreeing with each other. If I remember my history correctly, Solomon;s Temple was one of the seven great wonders of the ancient world. Today we read about all the bronze work that Huram did. A sea that sat upon twelve oxen, three looking in each direction. Ten carts (I’m not sure what the carts were for), ten lampstands, ten lavers, four hundred [pomegranates, pans, shovels, forks, the bronze altar and so much more. So much that Solomon did not bother to weigh it all. The preparation of all this was complete and to all the specifications. All this preparation had to\ be done before the Ark, the very presence of God, was brought into the Temple (tomorrow’s reading).
how well do I prepare myself for the presence of the Lord to come and dwell with me? How about you? It seems we all long for the presence of the Lord to come and touch us, whether it;s during our church service or our own devotional time. I know that Jesus is always with me, and that He will never leave me nor forsake me. I also know that the Holy Spirit dwells within us, and guides us into all truth, bringing Jesus’ teaching and the word of God to our remembrance when we need it. This presence is wonderful, and keeps us grounded in the word and faithful in our lives. It is always there.
But there is another level of the presence of God that we walk into when we come into His house. The Holy Spirit can usher in the presence of God in such a way that we can only stand in awe as He touches each of us with the anointing. It is hard to describe the feeling in the room when he comes. I have been in plenty of services where the Holy Spirit just caused everyone to be silent and we could barely stand. I have felt a cloud-like feeling, not a moist cloud, but just a presence that seems to envelope me. I have experienced the movement of the Holy Spirit to bring a word of prophecy, or a message in tongues with interpretation. When His presence comes into a room like this, you know it and can actually feel it on your physical body. We will read more about what happened in Solomon’s temple inb the next few days, and it causes me to wonder when I will feel the presence of God like that! It will only be after I have prepared for it.
How do I prepare? With silent worship, with prayer and with the word of God in my heart. I am talking about BEFORE the church service, not during. If we wait until the actual service to begin at our church, and hope the presence will come charging in,. it probably will not. Our preparation has to come before the Ark arrives at the door. Before the service starts. Before the opening prayer and the worship service. When we come into church, we should make every effort to find our seats. Maybe a quick hello, but be in your seat a good fifteen minutes early, and take that time for preparation. Just like the preparation for the Temple and the Tabernacle was so detailed, take time to prepare yourself for the presence of the Lord to come in. If we could all learn to do this, our churches would not only be filled with His presence, but others would come just to feel that presence.
God's Maintenance Man 