Influencers are a new spin on an old idea. We’ve been called motivators, navigators, encouragers, drivers, activists, even instigators and aggravators. What started as an idea catches on and gains momentum. Trends and fads are sparked by such ideas but so are movements and revolutions.
Christianity has its roots in Judaism but its inception was before the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8) Countermovements have failed to stamp in out and its goal and focus is eternal. The Spirit, traditionally represented by wind and fire, resides in each believer in Jesus, its Author and Perfecter, and anywhere that flame is extinguished on earth, either by death or disbelief, others are being reborn. God is building His Church and nothing and no one will stop Him. (Matthew 16:18)
I’m in the final thirty days of a year long Bible reading plan aligning readings from the Old and New Testaments in a way that layers readings about David with Psalms he wrote, prophetic warnings to Israel with history of those judgements meted out, and the writings of the apostles coupled with the Old Testament passages they recall. Having completed this plan once before, I have gained a deeper understanding of the context and overarching storyline of the Bible. Do I have a firm grasp on it? No. Am I more amazed than ever and ready to dig deeper? Absolutely!
I could legitimately write “one of my favorite passages in Scripture” in every blog post for a year, 104 in total, and not exhaust my list of favorites. Part of the reason for this is I’m constantly discovering new ones. This week, for instance, in I Chronicles 29, I read King David’s prayer of praise to God for generously supplying materials for the Temple to be built by his son, Solomon. David desired to construct a permanent dwelling for the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant but he was told by the prophet Nathan that instead, God would build a house for him and after giving him peace on every front, God would give him a child who would build a house to honor God’s name. (II Samuel 7)
David made preparations for the building of this house during his lifetime and before his death, he offered the people a chance to join him in providing materials for the construction. He was overwhelmed by their response and he replied aptly, “we are only giving back what we have received from Your generous hand because everything belongs to You, God.” His deepest wish in that moment was that God would “keep this generous spirit alive forever in these people always, keeping their hearts set firmly in you, God.” David reveals the secret of his relationship with God in this compound sentence. Keep Your Spirit alive in them, Lord, and keep their hearts set on You.” What a beautiful prayer for ourselves, for our families, and for every believer.
“Then David the king addressed the congregation: “My son Solomon was singled out and chosen by God to do this.
But he’s young and untested and the work is huge—this is not just a place for people to meet each other, but a house for God to meet us.
I’ve done my best to get everything together for building this house for my God, all the materials necessary: gold, silver, bronze, iron, lumber, precious and varicolored stones, and building stones—vast stockpiles.
Furthermore, because my heart is in this, in addition to and beyond what I have gathered, I’m turning over my personal fortune of gold and silver for making this place of worship for my God:
3,000 talents (about 113 tons) of gold—all from Ophir, the best—and
7,000 talents (214 tons) of silver for covering the walls of the buildings, and for the gold and silver work by craftsmen and artisans.
And now, how about you?
Who among you is ready and willing to join in the giving?”
And the people were full of a sense of celebration—all that giving!
And all given willingly, freely!
King David was exuberant.
David blessed God in full view of the entire congregation:
Blessed are you, God of Israel, our father from of old and forever.
To you, O God, belong the greatness and the might, the glory, the victory, the majesty, the splendor; Yes! Everything in heaven, everything on earth; the kingdom all yours!
You’ve raised yourself high over all.
Riches and glory come from you, you’re ruler over all; You hold strength and power in the palm of your hand to build up and strengthen all.
And here we are, O God, our God, giving thanks to you, praising your splendid Name.
But me—who am I, and who are these my people, that we should presume to be giving something to you?
Everything comes from you; all we’re doing is giving back what we’ve been given from your generous hand.
As far as you’re concerned, we’re homeless, shiftless wanderers like our ancestors, our lives mere shadows, hardly anything to us.
God, our God, all these materials—these piles of stuff for building a house of worship for you, honoring your Holy Name—it all came from you!
It was all yours in the first place!
I know, dear God, that you care nothing for the surface—you want us, our true selves—and so I have given from the heart, honestly and happily.
And now see all these people doing the same, giving freely, willingly—what a joy!
O God, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this generous spirit alive forever in these people always, keep their hearts set firmly in you.
And give my son Solomon an uncluttered and focused heart so that he can obey what you command, live by your directions and counsel, and carry through with building The Temple for which I have provided.””
1 Chronicles 29:1-5, 9-19 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/1ch.29.14.MSG
““And now, in this public place, all Israel looking on and God listening in, as God’s people, obey and study every last one of the commandments of your God so that you can make the most of living in this good land and pass it on intact to your children, insuring a good future.
And you, Solomon my son, get to know well your father’s God; serve him with a whole heart and eager mind, for God examines every heart and sees through every motive.
If you seek him, he’ll make sure you find him, but if you abandon him, he’ll leave you for good.
Look sharp now!
God has chosen you to build his holy house.
Be brave, determined!
And do it!””
1 Chronicles 28:8-10 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/1ch.28.8-10.MSG
And now, how about you?
Who among you is ready and willing to join in the giving?
It is true that everything belongs to God and we are merely stewards of His estate. Whether or not you have material possessions in abundance is irrelevant.
“Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies?
To surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices.
And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart.
For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.”
Romans 12:1 TPT
https://bible.com/bible/1849/rom.12.1.TPT
Trends and fads come and go but Christianity is here to stay because Christ is eternal, His Kingdom is the ultimate reality, and we who trust Him are citizens of heaven. We operate under His authority and in the power of His Spirit or we accomplish nothing of eternal significance. He has commissioned us and bid us go into the world with the gospel. Our obedience is all He requires. Whether I seem successful by the world’s standards matters not at all. The day is coming when all will be revealed. God will make His true children known. Until that day, my job is to run with perseverance the race set out for me keeping my eyes on Jesus. The results are entirely up to Him.
Peter and the apostles were jailed by the high priest and his officials purely out of jealousy for preaching Jesus. During the night, an angel released them and they immediately returned to preach at the Temple. They were arrested again and brought before the council for the high priest to interrogate them.
“We gave you strict orders never again to teach in this man’s name!” he said.
“Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”
But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross.
Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior.
He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven.
We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.”
When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them.
But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be sent outside the council chamber for a while.
Then he said to his colleagues, “Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men!
Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great.
About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways.
The whole movement came to nothing.
After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee.
He got people to follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered.
So my advice is, leave these men alone.
Let them go.
If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown.
But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them.
You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”
The others accepted his advice.
They called in the apostles and had them flogged.
Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.
The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.
And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message:
“Jesus is the Messiah.””
Acts of the Apostles 5:26-42 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/act.5.34.NLT
To you, O God, belong the greatness and the might, the glory, the victory, the majesty, the splendor;
Yes! Everything in heaven, everything on earth; the kingdom all yours!
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